


And I a smiling woman

by snowspriestess



Series: Lady Lazarus [3]
Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M, rating may change to mature later, sequel to out of the ash i rise & o my enemy do i terrify, title is again a sylvia plath reference of course
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-02-08 12:13:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 22,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18623089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowspriestess/pseuds/snowspriestess
Summary: And I a smiling woman, I am only thirty, and like the cat I have nine times to die.After Zelda's rise to the highest attainable position, her ambitions should be finished. But then she discovers Faustus' daughter Prudence, and life how they knew it is turned upside down.





	1. Life is Strange

Zelda was lying on her back, eyes fixed on the ceiling. Every now and then she was lifting a cigarette to her lips, drawing the smoke inside her lungs. Next to her, Faustus was sound asleep, one arm loosely wrapped around her stomach. In her mind she was going through the file again. The file which belonged to his _daughter._ A little six year old girl who had no one, no family, no one to look to. Apart from a father who did not care.

Abruptly she sat up, putting out the cigarette. The sick feeling at the pit of her stomach had returned, and the nicotine had made it worse.

Her husband was stirring, eyes flickering open as he woke up at the movement. “What’s wrong?” he muttered, still sounding half asleep. He reached for her wrist, attempting to draw her back into his arms.

Instead she freed herself, slipping out of the bed. For a second she was dizzy, the world spinning around her. _In Satan’s name, was she developing a brain tumour?_ Zelda shoved the thought away, blaming it on excessive consume of nicotine and lack of food for now.

Naturally, Faustus had noticed. “Are you okay?” he asked, this time genuinely concerned. “You look...” He was looking for the right word. “tired”, he finished.

She gave him a slightly annoyed look, wrapping herself up in his shirt which was still lying on the floor. “I’m great”, she responded, wondering whether he could feel her restlessness and mixed emotions through the bond. She was hoping that was not the case. Deciding to make herself some coffee, she turned towards the door.

Behind her, Faustus was sighing, by the sound of it also climbing out of their bed.

Although Zelda did not really care for his company right now, she didn’t comment, only made her way downstairs. For some reason she was upset with him, even though she might not have a proper reason for her feeling. Definitely not one she could tell him about.

Downstairs, Zelda poured herself some coffee and sat down at the table, hoping that the caffeine might make her feel better. She was seriously beginning to wonder what was wrong with her, she had not been sick in years before this…

Faustus walked into the kitchen, interrupting her thoughts. “Do you have to go to work today?” he asked, glaring at her while making some coffee for himself as well. “You could spend some time with your sister instead”, he suggested. “Or Sabrina.”

Zelda gave him a confused look, nipping on her coffee. Was he trying to get rid of her? Besides, she already had other plans today. Plans which did _not_ involve her work. “Since when don’t you like my job?” she replied, perhaps more defensive than needed.

Her husband sighed, placing a kiss on the top of her head before sitting down on the chair next to her. “You look stressed that’s all.” He was slightly smirking. “And you’re not in the best mood either, are you?”

“Very funny”, Zelda muttered in response, rolling her eyes. She had no idea what she was so annoyed about, but somehow she felt irritated. “I didn’t sleep well”, she tried to explain herself, which was not even a lie. She had spent hours lying awake, staring out the window, thinking about Prudence. When she had finally fallen asleep, the girl had haunted her dreams.

Faustus furrowed his brows, watching her with slight concern. “Anything I should know about?” he wanted to know, probably sensing that there was something he was holding back here.

She simply gave a smile, finishing her coffee. “Just the usual”, she ensured him, glancing over to the clock. “I should get going.”

But instead of letting her stand up, he reached for her wrist and drew her towards him, so that she was forced to sit down on his lap. He had his arms around her waist, stopping her from slipping away again. “Come on, Zelda, something is wrong”, he tried again, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Talk to me.”

For a second she looked at him in silence, debating whether to go with the whole truth or not. _Tell him,_ the voice in her head was yelling, but she chose to ignore its warning. “I’m just not feeling my best”, she replied, shrugging it off. “I have a stomach bug or something.”

Her husband looked only mildly convinced. “Are you sure?”

Zelda leaned forward to kiss him quickly. “Very sure”, she replied, smiling confidently. “But now I have to go.”

He let go of her very hesitantly, allowing her to stand up. “Don’t be home too late”, he remarked, only half serious, while watching her leave the room.

 

The Academy’s children’s home was right in the Greendale town centre, although still not too far from the Academy itself. Zelda teleported right to the doorstep, but needing a few extra minutes until she had gathered the courage to actually go inside. Now that she was there, she felt anxious. Scared, even. _Why had she come?_ That was a valid question, but she had no answer.

For some reason, she wanted to see Prudence with her own eyes. Make sure she really did exist. Nervously, Zelda stepped from one foot onto the other, wringing her hands. She was craving a cigarette, but didn’t light one.

After a while she finally turned the doorknob and stepped into the building, walking down a long corridor until she arrived at the orphanage. The voices of children echoed from the high walls immediately, filling the air. Most of them appeared to be playing outside in the garden’s, with a few witches watching them. The rest were gathered together in a play room of sorts.

She stepped towards a witch with long brown hair, who was scribbling notes into a number of files. When she noticed Zelda, her face changed. She looked slightly tensed if anything. “Your Excellency”, she greeted, sounding rather surprised. “I would not have expected you here.”

Actually, Zelda would not have expected herself to be here either. Especially not with the request she had in mind right now. She wondered if the woman knew. If she had noticed, like Marie had. But then again she had probably never seen her High Priest up close anyway.

But how could she say what she needed, without the woman wondering if she had lost her mind? Zelda cleared her throat. “I would like to speak to one of your children”, she began, sounding more unsure than she would admit to herself. “Prudence.”

The other witch gave her a sympathetic smile. “Of course. Come with me.”

Zelda followed the woman through the playroom, careful not to look at any of the children too closely. Her heart was already aching enough, and she could only hope that all of them were taken care of here. That they did not feel like no one wanted them. By now she was seriously wondering where her sudden sentiment had come from.

She was led into a room away from the others, were a row of beds was lining the wall. The bedding was all white and red, matching the colour of the wallpaper. And there, on the very last bed, a little figure was sitting on. She was holding a sketch book, obviously drawing.

When Zelda’s eyes met Prudence’s, her heart twisted. She felt a sort of connection with the girl, like she had seen her before. _She was so familiar._

“I’ll leave you alone”, the woman excused herself, closing the door behind herself.

Zelda was unsure how to act, and so she only continued to stand next to the door. _What did you say to a six year old?_ She had no idea, although Prudence was indeed Sabrina’s age.

The girl was still watching her attentively. “You can come over if you like”, she said eventually, tilting her head a little. “Who is Sabrina?”

Surprised at the question, Zelda frowned. But she followed the offer, crossing the room and sitting down next to Prudence on the bed. “Sabrina is my niece”, she explained, smiling lightly. “How did you know I was thinking about her?” Up close, Prudence did not much look like her father. She had probably gotten the looks from her mother, apart from the eyes. They were dark and huge, watching Zelda’s every move.

The little girl returned the smile. “I know what people think”, she replied honestly. “Some of it.”   
  
_She was telepathic._ It seemed like she had inherited some of her father’s extraordinary gifts, just in a different way. “My name is Zelda”, she chose to introduce herself, since everything else did not seem fit for the situation.

Prudence was playing with the pen in her hands, the one she had used to draw into her sketch book. She had drawn the outlines of a castle, the building torn down by fire. Around it, people were gathering. It looked like an apocalyptic vision.

“Why did you draw that?” Zelda asked gently, not wanting to push too much. But the picture reminded her of something, stirring something at the back of her head. Like she knew what happened there.

The little girl gave her an odd look, almost understanding. “I had a dream about a Church burning”, she explained, letting her fingers run over the paper. “Witch hunters had set it on fire.”

Zelda remembered. The Church of Shadows had burned down a few years ago. “You saw something which happened a long time ago”, she answered, eyes still fixed on the drawing. There was this inevitable feeling which told her that her fate and Prudence’s were interlaced, that their path’s had crossed for a reason. She was not able to shake it off.

Prudence nodded now. “I often dream about things from the past”, she replied, voice sounding light. Like it was not bothering her at all. “Sometimes I see things which have not happened yet, but will happen.” She looked sideways at Zelda. “I saw you in my dream once.”

This time Zelda was not even surprised. “Really?” she asked, watching as Prudence skipped through the pages of her journal. “What did I do?”

For a moment, there was silence. Prudence had found the right page, revealing a drawing of a woman, which indeed looked a lot like Zelda. She was standing in a circle, surrounded by drawings of sacred geometry. Like she had just cast a spell. “You killed the minister”, the little girl said very calmly.

If she had not believed in fate before, now she did. Zelda took a deep breath, trying to pull herself together. She had come here to get to know Prudence, to see how she was living, but she had not expected any of this. Definitely not her own strong feelings towards her.

Unsure of what to say, Zelda cleared her throat. “Do you like living here?” she asked, looking around herself once more. It seemed lonely, somehow.

The little girl hesitated a moment, like she was thinking about the answer. “I can’t go anywhere else”, she said eventually, suddenly sounding sad.

If her decision had not been made before, it was made now. Zelda did not even want to _think_ about explaining any of this to Faustus, but she had made up her mind. With or without his help, she would get Prudence out of here.

Behind them, the door was opened again. The woman from before stood in the doorway. “It is time for lunch, but if your Excellency would like to wait”, she suggested, eyes questioning.

Quickly, Zelda got up from the bed. “No, I was just about to leave.” She turned around to Prudence, leaning down towards her. “I will be back, I promise.”   
The little girl smiled, nodding. “I know you will”, she replied calmly, her dark eyes gleaming.

Zelda felt a sense of knowing when she left the room, hurrying outside to catch some fresh air. Running a hand through her hair, she stopped in the middle of the street. _What had she done?_ She took a few deep breaths. Faustus would think her insane. And so would everyone else, probably.

But what else could she do? Leave this talented, smart little girl in a children’s home, all by herself? Even the thought felt cruel. Zelda sighed to herself. Her sentiment had really gotten the best of her here.

She would take Prudence in, no matter what her husband said. It was his fault she was in this situation, so he had to take the consequences. No matter if he liked that or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first chapter of part three yay! i hinted at some of these development at the end of part two already, so i'm hoping the stories will tie in together nicely eventually.


	2. Solitaire

Zelda was sitting in the kitchen when Faustus came home, a few files and notes in front of her, since she had tried to work for a while. But her mind had drifted off again and again, so eventually she had given up.

Her husband was wearing a confused look on his face when he entered the room, looking around himself. “You’re here early”, he noticed.

How should she start? Was there even a proper thing to say? Probably not. Zelda took a deep breath, getting up from her chair. Suddenly she felt like trembling. “There’s something we have to talk about.”

Faustus raised an eyebrow, leaning back against one of the counters. “I love when you say that”, he commented.

She shot him an annoyed look. Not the time for jokes. “Do you remember the last woman you slept with who was not me?” That was probably the worst way to start this conversation she could have chosen, Zelda realized afterwards. After all, she did not even know if Prudence’s mother _had_ been the last one. Or if he had simply not told her. She was instantly hoping she had been. He had promised, after all.

Her husband sighed in response. “Zelda, I haven’t-” he began, but she interrupted.

“Just tell me.” She was urging now.

Faustus shrugged. “I don’t remember her face”, he replied honestly. “It was a long time ago.”   
  
_Six years,_ Zelda thought. She pressed her lips together. “You told me she was pregnant”, she forced herself to continue speaking, knowing that she had to keep going. Her voice was betraying her already.

He frowned ever so slightly. “If this is a sudden hit of jealousy...”

Zelda huffed. “It’s not about jealousy”, she snapped back, perhaps a little too offended out of a sudden. Why did he always think she was _jealous?_

Faustus gave her an apologetic look, raising his arms in defence. “Sorry. Keep going.”

Again, she was struggling for her composure. “I found her”, she said eventually. “Your daughter. Her name is Prudence.”   
He paled, all the colour draining from his face. Suddenly, his eyes looked hollow. Apart from that, there was no reaction in his expression. He was only staring at her.

She could feel the distant ache of his emotions through the bond, making her heart heavier. _Keep going, keep going. “_ I visited her in the children’s home today”, Zelda got out, reaching for the file on the table and opening the second page, the one with the little girl’s picture. She showed it to her husband. “She has your eyes.”   
  
Faustus stared at the photo like at a foreigner, not with a hint of recognition. Zelda’s heart sank. She had hoped he might understand. Feel the connection, like she had.

“Why are you telling me this?” he asked, voice neutral. Like none of this had any effect on him at all. But she knew him better than this, better than the pretence he was showing off.

Zelda bit her lip, closing the file and putting it away. It felt useless in her hands. “I want to take her in”, she said, the words leaving her mouth sudden and expectant. “I want to raise her.”

Now, there was something on his face. Confusion. Disbelief. Anger perhaps. But anger was better than nothing. “You’re not serious”, he replied, shaking his head slowly.

“She is all alone in the world”, Zelda replied, clenching her jaw so tightly it hurt. Her fingers were trembling. “She has no one.”

“Why is that any of your concern?” Faustus hissed, running a hand through his hair. He looked distressed. “There are thousands of orphans in the world, Zelda.”

 _Orphans._ Now she was getting angry as well. “She is your daughter!” she snapped at him. “And if you had cared about her even a little, you would know that she is smart, and clever and she-” Her voice was leaving her. She was catching her breath. “Don’t you care about her at all?”

He did not understand, apparently. How could he. “I don’t know her”, he replied firmly. “And just because you met her once doesn’t mean you can just adopt her, I mean… that’s insane, Zelda.”

Perhaps it was, but that did not change her mind. “I don’t care”, she answered, crossing her arms.

Faustus was looking at her like she had lost her mind now. “How do you even know that she will want to come here?” he wanted to know. “She doesn’t know you.”

Zelda pressed her lips together. “She has prophetic dreams”, she explained. “She saw me already.”

“In Satan’s name”, he muttered, turning away slightly while shaking his head. “You can’t just _adopt_ a child, do you have any idea what that means?” He was close to yelling at her by now.

His tone was making her even more angry. “I don’t, so what?” She was challenging his eyes with her own. “Don’t you want children?” It was an unfair thing to say, she was aware, but she wanted this little girl, no matter the consequences.

Faustus huffed, eyes burning with anger now. He was really close to snapping. “Don’t _I_ want children, Zelda? I had no idea _you_ even wanted some!” he hissed, sounding more accusing than anything. “Because you always make decisions on your own, no matter if I like it or not.”

The words actually hurt quite a bit, Zelda feeling the ache in her heart. Tears were daring to build up in her eyes.

“I never even dared to ask about it, since every time I ask about things like that you only pull away”, he went on, sounding seriously upset with her. “And now you want to adopt a child, from one day to the other?”

Zelda swallowed the tears down. She would not cry right now. “Not any child”, she defended herself. “Your daughter, who you left in an orphanage. Her mother killed herself, in Satan’s name!”

Faustus didn’t say anything else, only stood there with his arms crossed.

She knew what to say next, had thought about it long before. But the words only hardly left her mouth. “I will do it anyway”, she said quietly. “With or without you.”

Her husband was looking at her like she had just slapped him. His eyes were showing the betrayal. “You’re not serious”, he replied.

Zelda took a deep breath, lifting her chin. “Break up with me if you want.” She knew he wouldn’t, knew he could never. That was why she said it, the only reason which made her strong enough to speak it out loud.

He nodded, very slowly. “You’re already bored of being minister then? Want to add _mother_ to your list of accomplishments?”

As soon as the words had sunk in, she felt like he had struck her. Suddenly feeling dizzy, she felt the tears rising back to the surface. “It’s not about that”, she whispered.

“It’s always about that with you”, Faustus hissed back. “You’re never content with what you have!”

Zelda knew that she deserved all of this, all the anger, all the rage. But the tears streamed down her face anyway, although she hated herself for that. “You’re saying I’m going to be a bad mother then.” She had no idea why she was even crying like this, since usually she was good at keeping her composure during fights.

Faustus looked properly confused as well, falling silent for a moment. He was staring at her tears, as if debating what to do next. “I didn’t mean it like that”, he eventually said, suddenly softer.

She indeed believed him, but the tears continued nevertheless. _Since when did she get so emotional?_ Whatever the reason, she hated it.

Her husband stepped towards her carefully. “Can you please stop crying?” he asked, and she knew how much he hated to see her cry. How much it hurt him. She could even feel it.

Zelda attempted to wipe the tears away, but it didn’t make her feel any better. Everything about her felt drained and hollow.

Faustus sighed, looking genuinely apologetic. “I’m sorry”, he said quietly, running a hand through her hair. “Please stop crying.”

“I wish I could”, Zelda replied, still feeling new tears build up in her eyes. Was she crying for Prudence? “I knew about her all this time”, she got out, trying to word her feelings. “And I didn’t care, I left her alone…”

He shook his head, hands still caressing her hair. “It wasn’t your responsibility. It was my fault, I did that to her.” Carefully, he took her into his arms.

Zelda rested her head against his chest for a moment, still sobbing. She had no idea what was happening to her.

“Does she know I’m her father?” Faustus asked eventually, letting go of her.

That she had no answer for, although Zelda had wondered the same thing as well. It had not seemed that way, but then again she had only met Prudence for a few minutes. “I don’t think so”, she replied, wiping more tears away. She was beginning to calm down. “But she is telepathic, so she might find out. Although she has no proper teaching how to use that gift.” That was something which would need some work.

Faustus looked properly overwhelmed. It was a lot to take in, probably. “You really want to do this”, he said, sighing a little. Like he had already given up resistance.

Zelda nodded firmly.

“I know I fell in love with your stubbornness, but sometimes I wish it didn’t exist”, he noted, slightly joking already. “Especially in moments like this.”

She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in defence. Now that the tears had vanished, she felt sick again. _Did she ever get a break?_ Her stomach really felt like it was turned upside down.

Her husband seemed to have noticed, eyeing her carefully. “Are you okay?” he wanted to know, sounding concerned.

Zelda preferred not to give an answer to that, instead making her way to the nearest bathroom and sinking down in front of the toilet. If she had anything in her stomach before, now it was definitely out. This constant throwing up was really tearing at her nerves.

Faustus had followed her to the bathroom, kneeling down next to her with a worried expression. He was looking at her like she was going to break apart any second.

Now the sickness was gone, but she felt dizzy and ready to faint again. Carefully she leaned her back against one of the walls, steadying herself. She did not trust her legs right now. Black dots were dancing through her vision.

“Your sister is good with potions”, Faustus suggested, still kneeling next to her. “I’m sure she can make something against this.” He looked properly lost.

Zelda only nodded, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, at least the black dots were gone.

“I’ll get you some water”, her husband suggested, getting up from the floor. “And you should eat something.”

Zelda didn’t react, suddenly frozen. _Your sister is good with potions._ Oh Satan. Sickness. Throwing up. Feeling dizzy. Exaggerated emotions. Now it was obvious, the pieces of the puzzle falling together. Her hands were trembling when she ran them through her hair, trying not to lose her mind right now.

She had not taken the potion, because she thought it didn’t matter. It would not happen anyway. But now it had, at the worst possible moment.

“Dark Lord, why do you hate me so much”, Zelda whispered to herself, shaking her head slowly. _She was pregnant,_ very clearly. It was all making sense now.

Faustus returned to the bathroom, handing her some water. Zelda’s heart was racing, but she did not dare to speak the words out loud. Not right now. She really had no time to think about any of this.

Instead she swallowed the water, sitting up straight again. Her head had stopped spinning, as if struck by the realization. Her eyes found her husband’s. “So”, she began. “Are we going to have another fight about this or is the matter settled?” Her opinion in this had not changed, no matter if pregnant or not. That was something to figure out later.

He gave her a long look. “Every time I’ll look at her I’ll be reminded of my mistakes”, he said eventually.

Zelda rested her head against the wall, looking up at the ceiling for a moment. She felt her heartbeat racing. “I suppose you will have to live with that.”   
  
Her husband sighed. “You’re going to be a great mother, Zelda.”

She gave him a surprised look, for a second fearing he might have come to the same conclusion as she had a few seconds earlier. But he hadn’t, he only meant Prudence. Relief filled her, although she was not quite sure why. Why did she not want him to know?

Perhaps because the thought of suddenly having two children filled her with fear, and panic. And she was not yet ready to deal with that.


	3. Melancholic Paradise

Zelda was stirring the car towards the Greendale woods, still greatly regretting the decision of having picked up Prudence with the car instead of teleporting. But – her brother had told her that teleporting with a six year old had certain risks, and she was not about to find out what those were.

Prudence was sitting next to her, clutching the sketchbook to her chest and eagerly watching the trees and houses right and left. “I’ve never been this far out of town”, she muffled, basically pressing her nose to the window glass. “Only in my dreams.”

Zelda smiled softly, Although almost everyone had told her she was insane for doing this – Faustus, her brother, even Diana – she was still confident that it was the right thing. Prudence was special, in more than one way, and she was going to raise her. With or without anyone’s help.

“Will I meet Sabrina?” the little girl asked now, sitting up straight in her seat again. Her huge brown eyes were calmly resting on Zelda.

Zelda nodded. “If you want to.” Sabrina was the only Spellman who had gotten excited at Zelda’s news, eager to have someone to play with all the time. She would be a good influence on Prudence, hopefully. Now that they were cousins.

They drove onto the yard of Blackwood mansion, Zelda parking the car and getting out. She was not sure if her husband was at home, part of her hoping he was not, and her gaze lingered on the house for a moment.

Then she walked around the car, opening the door was Prudence and picking her up in her arms. The little girl wrapped her arms around her neck, and for a second Zelda’s heart was fluttering. “Ready?” she asked, watching the girl inspecting the outside of the house carefully.

“It’s big”, Prudence noted, tilting her head. “Will my room be upstairs?”

Zelda smiled lightly. “You can choose your own room.” After all, the mansion was definitely much too big for only two people, meaning her and Faustus had at least ten more unoccupied at the moment. For a second, Zelda’s thoughts swayed to the baby she was carrying. _Soon there would be four._ She pushed the thought aside.

On the front porch, she let Prudence down, opening the door and letting the little girl inside. She watched as she stepped into the hallway, eyes big and wavering through the room with its dark wood, the huge staircases, the big windows. “This is your house?” she asked, turning around herself.

Zelda sighed internally, realizing that her husband was indeed not here. Or hiding in the library. _Had she ruined her marriage with this?_ “It’s my husband’s”, she replied, letting a hand run over the wooden window frames. “Now it’s _ours_.”

Prudence was now looking at her, her eyes seeming to pierce through her. Zelda was wondering if she was seeing right into her heart. “Where is he?” she asked. “He’s the High Priest, isn’t he?” Her voice was a childish innocence.

Quick to avoid the question, Zelda knelt down in front of her. “Would you like to sleep upstairs or downstairs?” She tucked a strand of Prudence’s hair behind her ear.

Just in this moment, the door was opened. Zelda felt herself tensing, almost protectively. She watched Prudence’s expression, waiting for the moment she was going to realize the truth. But it never came. Instead, the little girl smiled shyly. “Hello”, she greeted.

Faustus looked properly lost for a moment, closing the door behind himself. “Hello”, he replied, glaring at Zelda. “Your sister told me she had something for you? And you should come pick it up.”  
  
_In Satan’s name, Hilda._ Zelda cleared her throat, attempting to look innocent. “Thank you”, she got out, adding a smile. Then she turned back to Prudence. “Would you like to pick a room?”  
  
The little girl nodded eagerly, letting herself be picked up again. Faustus didn’t follow when they went upstairs, and Zelda didn’t mind that. If his heart was not in this situation, he could best stay out of it.

Naturally, Prudence chose the biggest room, just at the other end of the upstairs corridor. She was standing in the middle of the room, looking around herself like she was trying to remember every corner, every edge.

Zelda was leaning in the door frame, biting her lip. “What wallpaper colour would you like?” she asked, watching with a smile as Prudence sat down in the middle of the room and grinned from ear to ear.

“Purple”, she replied after some consideration.

One snap of her finger, and the wallpaper turned purple. Prudence gasped, while Zelda smiled. If there was any way to show off, this was it. She made the furniture arrange as well, moving it around until Prudence was nodding and happy with how it had turned out.

Afterwards, the little girl was beaming with excitement. “I want to be able to do that as well”, she remarked, watching as Zelda made an array of flowers fly through the air, setting down on the desk.

Somehow, Zelda was pretty sure she _would_ be able to one day. Perhaps she was looking at the next High Priestess right now. But she was not training her daughter for war. “Maybe you will”, she replied softly. “If the Dark Lord wills it.”

Something moved behind her in the corridor, and Faustus appeared next to her in the doorway. He mindlessly caressed her hair for a moment, watching Prudence. “Is she happy?” he asked under his breath, so the girl would not hear.

Zelda gave him a long look. “She will be”, she replied firmly, not allowing herself to waver.

Her sister’s message came back to her mind. “I will take her with me when I go see my sister”, she noted.

Her husband frowned, hesitant for a moment. “No need to”, he said eventually. “I’ll take care of her.”  
  
That was surprising. Zelda raised a brow. _Where was that coming from?_

He seemed to sense her confusion, since he placed a kiss on her temple and said “She’s my daughter too now, isn’t she?”.

 _Now._ Not before. Zelda didn’t commend, only shrugged and walked over to Prudence. “I’m going to be gone for a while, are you okay staying with Faustus for a while?” She glared at her husband. “He loves Disney movies, you know.”

Prudence’s eyes lightened up, then she nodded.

Zelda gave Faustus an amused look before she left the room, glad to have escaped the Disney movie this time. Besides, she had stuff to handle with her sister which required her presence right now.

 

She teleported right into Hilda’s room, making her sister jerk upwards in her bed. “In Satan’s name, Zelds!” Hilda exclaimed, giving her a shocked look. “Can you not _knock_ first?”  
Zelda shrugged. “Remember the one time you walked in on Faustus and me? You didn’t knock either.”  
  
Her sister made a face. “One time? I remember at least five.” She shook her head. “At least now that you moved out that won’t happen anymore.”

Sitting down on the bed, Zelda huffed. “Faustus told me you have what I asked for”, she said, sounding audibly annoyed. “You didn’t have to tell him, you know. Now he’s going to ask what you made for me.”

Hilda gave her an odd look, handing her the potion she had made. Somehow, she had a way with making such things. “So”, she remarked. “you’re feeling sick?”

Zelda glared at her sharply, opening the potion and taking a sip. It tasted of nothing, but the feeling was soothing. Hopefully it would stop the throwing up twice a day. She clenched her jaw, debating whether to tell her sister or not. Somehow, she was craving someone to speak to about it. “There’s something else”, she began slowly.

“You’re pregnant?” Hilda suggested.

Zelda’s jaw dropped with surprise. _How had she known that?_ “Is it that obvious?” she asked miserably, running a hand through her hair while sighing.

Her sister gave her a sympathetic smile. “No”, she replied. “But I’m a midwife, remember? I notice.”

Right, Hilda had been training to be a midwife at the Academy for some time now. Zelda sighed again. “It’s the wrong timing”, she admitted. “I haven’t been careful, I though...” She felt so frustrated. “I didn’t think it would happen, anyway.”

Hilda looked amused. “As much sex as you two have...”  
  
“Shut up”, Zelda muttered, not in the mood for jokes. If she had only taken that stupid potion… “I’m afraid to tell him”, she said quietly. “With everything going on right now.”

Her sister frowned. “Isn’t he going to be happy?”  
  
That was a good question. In their last fight, had his anger meant that he wanted children? Or didn’t want them. He had been right, they had never discussed it, never even mentioned the possibility. Now she wished they had, so she knew how to prepare. If he would be glad or not. “I don’t know”, she only said. She really didn’t.

Hilda leaned back against the pillows. “He will find out, sooner or later. Hiding only works so well for a little while.”  
  
She was right of course, and Zelda was aware she was, but she didn’t want her to be right. For now, she had allowed herself to be comfortable. To choose the easy way.

“You don’t seem ecstatic either”, Hilda now noted, eyeing her carefully. “Are you not happy?”

 _Was she?_ Zelda was not quite sure. Perhaps not. Or she had not allowed herself to be as of yet. “I don’t know if I can raise two children”, she admitted.

Her sister gave a sigh. “No one knows until they’re doing it”, she replied.

Zelda smiled, thankful. That had been what she needed to hear. “I should get back home”, she noticed, looking at the time. It was getting late.

Hilda nodded. “You should stop smoking so much. And drinking, too”, she remarked. “Not good for the baby.”  
  
Rolling her eyes, Zelda got up from the bed. “Sure”, she muttered. Perhaps that was for the best. That excessive consume seemed to mess with her head sometimes.

She muttered the words of the spell and teleported back to the mansion, the little potion hidden in her pocket. Naturally she did not care to elaborate on that in front of her husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay, i forgot to post this chapter earlier <3


	4. Listen before I go

Zelda stood in the doorway to Prudence’s room, glancing at her bed through the dim light. She had developed the habit of checking on her more than once every night, and it calmed her down just looking at the little girl curled up in her blanket, chest rising steadily. Sometimes she had nightmares, tossing and turning and mumbling words, but tonight she was still.

Actually, she was avoiding her husband. Zelda had suffered a long day at work, and her mood was down enough already. As long as she was standing here in the corridor, she wouldn’t have to talk to Faustus. She rested a hand on her belly. He would notice sooner or later, although the weight gain was still subtle. But he knew her body better than everyone. He _would_ notice.

She had planned to tell him today, convinced herself that now that she was two months in, it had to be told. Prudence had been with them for two weeks, and they had not had another fight about the situation, so she had figured the timing might be good.

Just the second the thought crossed her mind, two arms wrapped around her waist from behind. “Watching her sleep again?” Faustus breathed against her neck, lips brushing against the skin. His hands were touching her stomach, and Zelda moved away.

Panic stirred inside her, panic that he might notice before she had the chance to tell him. “I’m tired”, she muttered, fleeing into their bedroom.

Her husband followed, wearing a slight look of confusion. “Everything okay?” he wanted to know, sitting down on the bed.

Zelda nodded, trying to calm down her thoughts. Her hormones had been racing lately, her mood swings sometimes so bad that she began to tear up during a normal conversation. Now she slipped into bed as well, pulling the covers over her bare legs. She was wearing a nightgown, strategically placed to cover her belly enough. _How did she start?_

Faustus leaned forward, eyes watching her calmly. “Come on”, he began, brushing his fingers against her cheek. “What’s wrong? You’ve been acting weird for weeks now.”

She rolled her eyes, already regretting wanting to tell the truth. _Weird._ Thanks. “I’m great”, she muttered in response, lying down without another word.

“In Satan’s name”, her husband exclaimed, looking like he had a very bad headache. “What’s going on with you?” He lied down next to her, their faces now very close. She could feel his breathing on her skin.

Zelda looked into his eyes for a moment, trying to work up the courage to speak. _Just tell him._ What was the worst that could happen? It was too late to change things now anyway. But she was just not sure if she could handle him yelling at her right now without having a meltdown.

His fingers were playing with her hair. “I know there’s something bothering you”, he said quietly. “And I thought we promised each other _no more lies._ ”

“I’m not lying”, she muttered a reply, which was technically true. She moved away a little, bringing some more space between their bodies.

Faustus frowned, now looking seriously hurt. “What did I do wrong?” he asked, and his tone was genuinely upset.

Immediately, she felt bad. Guilty. For not telling him the truth about something he deserved to know about. She sat up again, fighting the urge to get up and run away as far as possible. Instead she ran a hand through her hair, feeling herself trembling. It was stressing her out.

Her husband sighed deeply, sitting up as well. “Do I have to guess what’s wrong?” he wanted to know, just on the verge of sounding annoyed.

 _Please don’t continue talking,_ she was thinking, but never said something. She was clutching the blanket to her chest, as if to hide.

“Do you want to adopt another child you found in the children’s home?” Faustus muttered as she didn’t respond, only half joking.

Suddenly, Zelda felt tears rise to her eyes. The words had stung, more than she would admit. _He doesn’t even consider she might be pregnant._ She felt lonely, without a reason. Although he was right next to her, and a baby was growing inside her. She felt like the only person in the entire world.

Faustus hand on her neck pulled her back to reality. He looked properly lost at the sight of her tears. “I’m sorry”, he said carefully, slipping a little closer. “I didn’t mean to-”   
  
She stopped him by pressing her lips to his, a desperate attempt to make herself better. Her fingers ran through his hair, and for a second she forgot. All she felt were his lips on hers.

But then he broke away, still looking at the tears dried on her cheeks. “Zelda can you just tell me what’s going on”, he pleaded. “You’re scaring me.”

She gave an attempt wipe the tears away, not wanting to start sobbing entirely. Then she took a deep breath, and another one. “I-” Her voice left her. Again, tears were rising to her eyes. _Just say it, you fool._

Faustus was holding her hand in his, letting his thumb circle over the skin as if to calm her. His gaze never left her.

Zelda sighed. “Please don’t be angry”, she whispered. “I can’t handle that right now.”   
  
His face changed from concerned to surprised for a moment. “I promise”, he replied, without a doubt. Hopefully he could make good on that promise.

“I’m pregnant”, she got out, without allowed herself another moment to linger. She didn’t dare to look into his eyes.

For a second, everything was silent. Faustus was staring at her like she had just told him she was a three headed monster. “What?” he managed to say, looking puzzled.

Zelda shifted uneasily. “You promised you wouldn’t be mad-”, she began, but was immediately interrupted.

“Why in Satan’s name would I be mad?” he exclaimed, almost sounding offended. He slipped closer to her, lifting her chin so she was forced to meet his eyes. “You think I don’t want this?”

The world became blurry when a new round of tears rose to her eyes. _Damn these hormones._ “I don’t know”, she whispered, and it almost sounded like a sob.

Her husband shook his head, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. “I love you”, he breathed into her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

She pulled away a little, only to place a kiss on his lips. Relief was spiralling through her body. _He did not hate her._ “I’m sorry”, she said carefully. “For hiding it.”

He kissed her again, this time more deeply, while pushing her back into the pillows so he was in top of her. They broke apart, only for Faustus to move down and place a kiss on her belly.

Zelda rolled her eyes. “Don’t make me hex you.”   
  
Her husband chuckled, staying on top of her. “You really thought I would be angry with you”, he noted, although not sounding accusing. Only confused.

She shrugged, trying to find the right words to explain. “Prudence…” she began, and that one word seemed to say it all. They would have two children, more sooner than later. And she still did not feel ready.

“How far in are you?” Faustus wanted to know, letting his fingers caress her cheek. The touch was gentle against her skin.

Hilda had run some tests thankfully, so Zelda knew what to expect. “Eight weeks”, she replied. “But we can’t tell anyone just yet.”

He frowned a little, but nodded. “Whatever you want.” A little smile appeared around his lips. “I assume your sister knows already?”

Zelda bit her lip. “She noticed all by herself.”

Suddenly, a cry broke the silence. Zelda frowned for a moment, before remembering Prudence. She must have another nightmare, as so often. They usually made her wake up screaming and sobbing. “I’ll check on her”, she said, sitting up quickly.

“I can go”, Faustus offered.

But she knew he couldn’t, and he knew too. Prudence trusted Zelda, and she would let her comfort her, but she wouldn’t let Faustus near her. Not yet. He had not done enough to deserve that kind of trust. “I’m good”, Zelda replied, not wanting to speak the words.

His eyes were dark and knowing, when he nodded and fell back against the pillows. “Alright.”

Prudence might be his daughter by blood, but he hardly made any effort.

Zelda slipped into the girl’s room, not bothering to turn on the light. Prudence’s eyes were on her already, and she was sitting pressed against the wall, arms wrapped around her legs. She was trembling a little.

Carefully, she sat down next to the little girl. “Another dream?” Zelda asked gently, letting her hands caress her daughter’s curls.

Prudence nodded. “I saw our house burning down.” Her voice was very quiet.

Zelda felt a wave of fear, although she _knew_ she had protection spells woven all around the house. No one would get close enough to the property to set it aflame. “Anything else?” she asked, trying not to show any of her thoughts.   
  
Her daughter shook her head. “Only shadows.”

Carefully, Zelda urged Prudence to lie down again and pulled the blanket over her body. “Not all dreams have to come true”, she told her. “Besides, I’m here to protect you.” She smiled a little.

Prudence looked a little more convinced, but still refused to close her eyes again. “What if the dream comes back?” she asked, voice shaking. “I don’t want to see our house burning again.”   
  
Zelda could hardly blame her for that thought. She lied down next to her daughter, the bed barely being big enough for the two of them. “I’ll stay until you fall asleep”, she whispered, kissing the little girl’s forehead. “If you have the dream again, I’ll wake you up.” Zelda knew that prophetic dreams didn’t come twice, but it might as well just be a night terror and she wanted to be sure.

Prudence nodded in response, her eyes already falling shut again. Only seconds later she was sound asleep again.

Actually Zelda’s plan had been to wait a few minutes longer and then leave the room, but it only took a few minutes until she sank deep into sleep as well.

 

Faustus waited half an hour for Zelda to return, then sighed and slipped out of the bed again. He was still shaken from the news he had just received, and even more so from the fact that he had not noticed. Looking back, it had been so obvious…

Zelda was lying next to Prudence, the little girl curled up against her site. Both looked asleep, although when Faustus entered the room Prudence looked up. Her dark eyes found him in the dark, and she sat up.

In the beginning, Zelda had told him Prudence reminded her of him. But whenever he looked at her, he saw only Zelda. Even now. The little girl had his wife’s endurance, her ambition – she had already now plans to become High Priestess one day – and apparently also just as much power to wield.

Carefully, he knelt down in front of the bed. Usually he would just let his wife sleep here, but now that he knew about the pregnancy… he felt the need to take care of her. He ran a hand through the blonde hair which spilled all over the bed now.

Prudence was still watching him in silence. “I’m worried something might happen to Zelda”, she said suddenly, very silently.

Faustus frowned. Immediately, he tensed. “Why that?” he wanted to know, careful not too sound like he was panicking. After all, Prudence was only a six year old girl.

Her eyes seemed to pierce through him when she spoke again. “I saw the house burning down”, she said simply.

Having no idea what _that_ might mean, he nodded. “I’m protecting her”, he replied gently. “I promise.” He hesitated for a moment. “Can you sleep without her? She needs the rest.”

Prudence smiled a little, tilting her head. “I’m going to have a sibling soon”, she said then, without further notice.

Faustus nearly choked on his own breathing. _How did she know that?_

“I heard it in your thoughts”, the little girl said, almost apologetic.

Right, she was telepathic. Carefully, Faustus picked Zelda up from the bed and rested her in his arms. “Goodnight”, he whispered to Prudence, who was wrapping herself up in her blanket again. She waved in response.

Back in their room, he put his wife down on the bed and tucked the covers around her, before slipping in himself. Unfortunately, she had decided to wake up again. She turned around towards him, wrapping an arm around him loosely. “Is Prudence okay?” she muttered against his chest, never opening her eyes.

He nodded, kissing the top of her head. “She knows about the baby.”   
  
That made Zelda’s eyes flicker open. “What?” she said, looking up at him. Then she sighed deeply. “Your thoughts, I see. I tried to teach her not to do that anymore.” Zelda sounded a little proud nevertheless. “I didn’t think your mind was so easily accessible.”   
  
“Excuse me?” he exclaimed, almost offended.

Zelda laughed a little, head resting on his chest again. “Well, she can’t read _my_ thoughts.”

He rolled his eyes, letting his hand run over her back. _I’m worried something might happen to Zelda._ The words didn’t leave his head. “You should get some sleep”, he said, slightly absent.

His wife nodded, already curling up against his side. “Goodnight”, she muttered, already sounding half asleep.

Faustus turned off the light, pulling her a little closer. He would never let anything happen to Zelda, so much had always been clear, but he felt himself also being worried for Prudence, the little innocent girl which was so much like his wife already now. Perhaps she would grow up to be her mother’s daughter entirely. He wouldn’t let anyone touch her, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you like this <3 i hope lots of stuff planned for this story haha.


	5. Issues

Zelda awoke in the middle of the night because Faustus was stirring beside her, her lids flickering open slowly as she realized the weight of his body was no longer in the pillows next to her. She opened her eyes completely, noticing that he had sat up. He was heavily panting, looking visibly shaken. Like from a nightmare.

Carefully she sat up, wrapping her arms around his body from behind. The touch seemed to make him relax a little. “What happened?” she asked quietly, letting her fingers trace the muscles of his chest.

Her husband took his time with the answer. “I had a dream”, he said eventually.

She placed a kiss against his neck. “About what?” she wanted to know, although she had a feeling that she already knew the answer.

Faustus turned around out of a sudden, taking her face into his hands. He was looking at her like he could hardly believe she was real. Then he kissed her, with so much force that she reached for his arm for support. “Faustus”, she muttered between kisses, when he pressed her backwards into the pillows, suddenly desperate. She broke free a little. “About what?” she repeated.

He sighed, body still hovering over her. The moonlight made him look awfully pale. “I saw you dying”, he replied, pressing the softest of kisses to her collarbone. “And the baby, too.”

Zelda ran her hands through his hair, caressing it between her fingertips. _I saw our house burning down._ “Why?” she asked. “Why today?”

He kissed her neck, teeth scrapping over the skin. “Prudence said something”, he admitted, leaning in so their lips were at the same height again. “She said that something might happen to you.”

Now that was surprising. Prudence had not mentioned that to her. And she didn’t have a dream about that, or Zelda would know. She knew all the sketches in the notebook. _I saw our house burning down._ She tried to shake off the dim thoughts. “I’m fine”, she replied instead. “I’m here.”

He sighed, brushing his lips against hers. “I know.”

She pulled him towards her, letting his tongue finds its way into her mouth. Her arms wrapped around his neck, running over the skin of his back.

“You should get some sleep”, he breathed against her lips, smiling amused. “I heard pregnant women need rest.”

Zelda rolled her eyes, playfully kicking him off her. “Well then, your loss.” She gave him a look which was supposed to be offended, but instead turned into something more flirtatious perhaps. At least judging from his expression.

“Oh, so now you’re playing hard to get?” he asked, back to letting his lips run over her neck. She exhaled sharply when he bit into the skin, probably leaving marks.

Zelda hummed. “Maybe”, she whispered, closing her eyes for a second. She heard him chuckle, then he was tearing the nightgown off her body. A smile crept over her lips, and she was quite content with how this was playing out.

His lips found hers again, pushing her deeper into the pillow. Zelda found herself gasping, wrapping her legs around his waist to close the distance left between them. A moan escaped her when the thrust inside her, and she instantly wondered if they should have cast a silencing spell.

But her mind clouded and the thought slipped away as her fingers curled up in the covers, feeling the fabric rip with the force. She barely even noticed.

Faustus was kissing her neck, chest, then her lips again. His teeth dug into the skin of her earlobe as he whispered a breathless _I love you_ against her.

With every roll of his hips against her Zelda felt herself slipping towards the edge, ready to fall. He stopped her moans with his lips, letting his tongue silence her.

Her entire body was trembling with sensation when she came, clutching onto his body like it was a lifeline. She let out a sharp breath, fingers running over her husband’s bare back. “So much better than sleep”, she got out, still panting. Her heartbeat was racing.

“Agreed”, Faustus chuckled, slowly rolling off her. His hands were caressing her hair as he placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “I won’t ever let anything happen to you”, he said under his breath.

She gave him an odd look. “I can take care of myself”, she replied, the standard reply. But her lips curled up in a little smile. He knew she was joking, anyway.

But this time, Faustus looked more hesitant. Like there was something else on his mind.

Zelda rolled onto her stomach, so she could face him. Her body was still recovering from the orgasm. She glanced at him expectantly.

“She’s so much like you”, he said eventually.

Of course she didn’t have to ask who he meant. “She has your blood”, Zelda disagreed. If anything, she would grow up to be like her father.

But Faustus sighed, shaking his head. “You’re her mother. You’re raising her.” His eyes looked almost sad for a moment. As if he was showing regret. “She is going to be like you. Bold, reckless,charming _._ ” He flashed a little grin. “Head-strong. Stubborn.”

Zelda frowned, not quite knowing where he was going with this. “Are you complimenting me or listing reasons why I’m driving you mad?”

He placed a kiss on her temple. “I’m saying she’s going to be an amazing young witch thanks to you.”  
She felt a little sting in her heart. “I’m not raising her alone.” _Although right now I am._ The thought hang in the air, unspoken. But both of them knew. They were painfully aware.

Her husband took a deep breath, looking away. “It’s late. You need your rest.”

Zelda nodded, pulling the blanked over herself. Without another word she curled back up in his arms and closed her eyes. She didn’t want to think about that right now.

 

Zelda woke up to an empty bed, although that hardly surprised her. She sat up slowly, inspecting the places where she had ripped the fabric with her nails last night. They would need a few new sheets.

She was shivering when she slipped out of the covers, quickly getting back into her nightgown. A glance into Prudence’s room told her she was already awake, but must be downstairs since the bed was empty.

Naturally Zelda felt sick already again, wondering whether that annoying part of the pregnancy might finally be over. She was not sure how much longer she could do it without murdering someone.

The smell of breakfast greeted her from the kitchen, and when she stopped in the doorway she raised an eyebrow in surprise at the picture which presented itself to her. Faustus was standing by the stove, actually _making pancakes._ For a second she thought she might be hallucinating. In their entire twenty years together, she had never seen him make pancakes. Or cook anything which was more than pasta thrown into boiling water. She wondered why she had never gotten pancakes before if he did know how to make them.

Prudence was sitting at the table, silently drawing into her sketchbook. When she heard Zelda approach, she looked up. “Good morning!” she exclaimed, putting her pen down. “We’re having pancakes.”  
  
“I see”, Zelda replied, smiling a little. Her husband gave her a short look, then turning back to the pancakes. Zelda frowned ever so slightly, picking Prudence up and sitting her down on her lap. “What are you drawing?” she wanted to know, although she could imagine what it was.

The drawing showed a house, eaten up by fire. Instantly, a shiver ran down Zelda’s spine. _I saw our house burning down._ Had it truly been their house? “Did the dream come back?” she wanted to know. _Prophetic dreams don’t come back,_ she reminded herself.

Her daughter nodded.

“Not every dream you have is going to come true”, Zelda said gently, glancing over to her husband. They really needed to hire a private tutor for Prudence, better sooner than later. “Some are just nightmares”, she concluded. The little girl needed someone to guide her through this, and Zelda did not know enough about prophecies and visions to do it herself.

Faustus put two plates of pancakes down in front of them. “Eat”, he told Zelda, giving her a look which accepted no talking back. Then he picked Prudence up and sat her down on her own chair.

Zelda felt another wave of nausea roll over her, leaning back in her chair and away from the food. The smell made her feel sick. “I’m not hungry”, she muttered, running a hand through her hair. _Who decided pregnancies were a great time?_

Her husband rested a hand on her back, leaning down to kiss her head. “You have to eat once in a while, you know.”

She knew he was right, of course he was, but it still didn’t make forcing down the pancakes any easier. Afterwards she threw up anyway, but at least there had been a try. She really needed to ask her sister for some more of that potion.

So now she was kneeling on the bathroom floor, basically regretting all of her life decisions. _Why in Satan’s name had she thought contraception was unnecessary?_ She rested her head against the cold wall, taking a deep breath.

Faustus had brought Prudence over to the Spellman’s house, where she and Sabrina spend most days playing with dolls and whatever else they found. Actually, she should have left for work an hour ago, but she hardly felt like getting up. Now she could hear him teleporting into the hallway, making his way into the bathroom.

“Again?” he asked, joining her on the floor and brushing her hair away from her face. “You look white as paper”, he added.

She shot him an annoyed look. If he was only hear to criticise her appearance he could leave right now.

Her husband chuckled. “A _very_ pretty paper.”

 _Too late._ Zelda rolled her eyes, getting to her feet. For a second her vision turned black, and she would have fallen if not for Faustus’ arms around her waist. She leaned against him for a moment, trying to make the black dots disappear. “I feel terrible”, she muttered.

She heard him sigh, pulling her a little closer against him. “You don’t eat. That’s why.”

“Might be the nicotine withdrawal too”, she tried to joke, but it hardly sounded amusing. Only sad. She missed cigarettes.

Faustus rolled his eyes, guiding her out of the bathroom. “Drink some water”, he told her, leaving her to sit down on one of the kitchen chairs.

Zelda leaned back, eyeing the leftover pancakes. “You never made me pancakes before”, she noted, sounding a slight bit offended. “Suddenly we have a child and you show all your hidden talents?” _We have a child._ She only realized the impact of her words until after she had said them.

Her husband tensed at first, giving her an odd look. But then a smirk appeared on his face. “I have to save some surprises for later”, he replied, leaning against the cupboard. “Besides, you never asked. Prudence asked.”  
  
Zelda tilted her head, playing with a strand of her. “I’m going to ask Marie if she knows a good private tutor”, she said, more to herself than Faustus. She wasn’t sure if he even cared.

But surprisingly, her husband nodded. “I did already, actually.”

Her brows shot up. “You did?” She felt bad for thinking he didn’t care. Then again, he didn’t like Marie a lot anyway – and the feeling was mutual – so she had not expected for him to actually talk to her voluntarily.

Faustus shrugged. “She’s sending someone over tomorrow.” He made a pause. “I realized I haven’t been a great help with… anything recently, so I’m trying my best.” His eyes glanced down at her stomach. “Since you need to relax.”

“I’m pregnant, not mortally wounded”, Zelda replied, although she was rather glad he had made the decision. Prudence needed two parents, not just her. “We should tell her, at some point”, she added, and even though she had not specified what she meant, she was sure her husband understood just fine.

He gave a sigh, nodding. “I know.”

At some point, they would have to let Prudence know who her father was. It was her right to know. Zelda ran a hand through her hair, painfully missing a cigarette. Or at least some whiskey. She glared at her husband, wondering if now was a good moment to discuss the _other_ topic she had wanted to speak about. The one which gave her sleepless nights.

As if having sensed her anxiety, Faustus sat down next to her. “What is it?” he wanted to know, reaching for her hand.

“The bond”, she admitted. It had been troubling her thoughts for some time now. “If something happens-” She didn’t want to finish speaking. _Prudence would be all alone in the world._ “We both know I have a tendency to get in trouble”, she added.

Faustus looked hardly surprised by her bringing up the topic. “I don’t know what we can do”, he replied.

Naturally, Zelda already had a suggestion. She bit her lip. “I could summon the Dark Lord and ask him.”

Her husband’s grip around her hand intensified, while he looked at her like she had gone mad. “And offer him what in return?”

Zelda shrugged. “I’m minister now, maybe he’s a little more sympathetic towards me.” At least they could give it a shot. See if it might work.

But Faustus shook his head. “It’s too dangerous. You can’t cast a spell like that while being pregnant!”

He had a point. But she didn’t want to admit defeat just yet. “I can handle it”, she began to argue, but her husband was interrupting.

“Five minutes ago, you nearly passed out in our bathroom. I don’t think you should be spell casting right now.” His tone didn’t seem to allow any further arguing.

Zelda sank back into her chair, nipping on her glass of water. She wanted this bond gone, more than anything. But there was no way to do it as of now it appeared. “Alright”, she muttered a response.

Faustus squeezed her hand a little tighter. “We will find a way. We always do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know not much is happening right now, but i promise i'm only setting the drama which is about to come up right now so be prepared!


	6. The Outsider

Zelda was nervously playing with her hair, sitting curled up in one of the chairs in the Spellman’s kitchen. Faustus was next to her, his presence the only thing calming her. Now he reached out for her hand, interlacing their fingers.

“So”, Edward began, sitting down as well. “What are the news you so urgently needed to talk about?” He was eyeing his sister curiously.

She glared at her husband, hoping that he would take the task from her shoulders and just say the words. Hilda was not present, but she knew anyway so it was fine. She had been the one encouraging Zelda to speak the truth eventually, exposing the secret to the rest of the family. After all, she would start showing sooner or later.

Faustus smiled in response, squeezing her hand a little more. Then he gave her an expectant look. He really wanted _her_ to say it.

She gave a little sign, leaning back deeper into her chair in an attempt to hide. Still, her mouth refused to form the words. On top of all, she felt nauseous again. _Marvellous._

Diana gave a concerned frown. “Is something not right?” she wanted to know, glancing from Faustus to Zelda. “Did something happen?”

“Not exactly”, she muttered in response, running a hand through her hair. “And it wasn’t my idea to make it official-” Zelda glared at her husband. “But I suppose here we are.”

Edward raised a brow. “You chose to adopt another child?” he joked dryly, causing Faustus to hold onto her hand even more. Perhaps he was still vividly remembering the time _he_ had made that joke.

But this time, she would not cry. Instead she smiled weakly. “I’m pregnant.” It sounded every bit as dull as she currently felt, and the opposite of exhilarated.

Her brother’s jaw dropped her a second, as if he was struggling to choose the right reaction. For a second, the room fell silent. From outside, one could hear Hilda playing with Prudence and Sabrina.

Eventually, Diana spoke. “You don’t look very excited”, she noted, looking rather stiff. Her hands were shaking a little, and she quickly hit them under the table.

Zelda gave her an annoyed look, rather not wanting to answer that. “So what?” she asked, suddenly defensive. “What do you care?”   
Faustus glanced at her sideways, probably not too keen on her very sharp tone.

Diana’s eyes suddenly filled with tears, and she abruptly jumped up from her chair. “Do you think what _I_ would give to be able to be pregnant?” she hissed, suddenly sounding as if all the emotions from the past years were boiling to the surface. “And you’re not even grateful!” she sneered.

Zelda stared back at her, suddenly speechless. In all those years, no matter what she did, she had never succeeded to make the mortal truly angry. And now she had no even tried. Which was why the surprise was too big for her to speak.

“I will never get the chance of a pregnancy!” Diana went on, almost jumping up from her chair. “And that’s your fault. So better thank the devil or whoever you’re worshipping for that!” With those words, she stormed off.

A few seconds passed in silence. Zelda felt her husband’s hand running over her back, comforting her. Perhaps he thought she might start sobbing. Actually, she felt like it. Because Diana had been right. Edward had come to her, wishing for a child of his own, and she had been unwilling to change the law or find a loophole. She was the reason Diana could never have a child of her own.

Edward cleared his throat, looking rather uncomfortable. Upstairs, a door was slammed shut. “I better check on her quickly”, he said, getting up and practically fleeing the room.

Zelda felt the tears rise to her eyes, trying to blink them away. She had never wanted to tell them in the first place…

Her placed a kiss on her temple. “What she said wasn’t true”, he said quietly. “It’s not your fault she’s mortal and Edward a warlock.”

She shrugged. “I didn’t bend the law when Edward asked me. I told him it couldn’t happen.”   
  
“Which was true”, her husband argued softly. “You only told him the truth. He knew what he was getting into when he married Diana.”

For a second, Zelda was silent. “What would you have done?” she asked eventually. “If I had been mortal.” She looked at him directly. _Would he have married her?_ Faustus had much stronger opinions about separation from mortals, and she had never wished to discuss those with him.

He sighed. “You’re not, fortunately.” His fingers were playing with her hair. “I would have done it all the same.” It sounded genuine.

Zelda huffed. “You wouldn’t even have fallen in love with me.” It was true. As a mortal, she would not be fierce or strong or ambitious. She would have been _average._ “I wouldn’t have become High Priestess.”   
  
Her husband frowned lightly. “I didn’t fall in love with you because you were High Priestess”, he argued. “Or because you were the most talented witch I had ever seen.” He leaned forward, lips brushing over hers. “I was in love right when I saw you for the first time.”

She rolled her eyes. “That’s not true.”

Faustus looked almost offended. “It is”, he replied. “Just because you took about five years until you decided you loved me.”

Zelda shot him an annoyed glance. “I didn’t take five years”, she muttered, crossing her arms. “And you can’t fall for someone you don’t know yet.”

He gave her a long look, before shrugging. “I felt like I knew you already.”   
  
Just when she was about to answer, Edward returned to the room. He looked rather shaken still. “Diana excuses herself”, he noted, before pulling Zelda into a hug. “I’m very happy for you.” He placed a kiss on her forehead.

Zelda smiled weakly, glancing at Faustus.

“I wasn’t aware you were planning to have children so soon”, her brother went on, sitting down again. “ _Two_ children.”   
She bit her lip, playing with the ends of her hair. “It wasn’t that much planned”, she replied vaguely.

Her husband smiled an amused smile. “More of a happy mistake”, he added.

Edward looked like that had been too much detail already. “Well.” His eyes glanced down to her stomach. “How many weeks?”

Zelda didn’t fancy an answer, so Faustus took over. “Twelve”, he responded.

Outside, Sabrina and Prudence were giggling. Edward looked like he had just realized something. “Your sister knows, I assume”, he said, sounding almost a little offended.

She shrugged, nodding. “Yes, why?”

“I thought you would tell me sooner than three months in”, her brother answered, starting a _very_ obvious attempt of guilt tripping.

Unbothered, Zelda rolled her eyes.

Next to her Faustus chuckled lightly. “Hilda even knew before I did.”

Edward raised a brow, but didn’t say anything else.

 

When Faustus parked the car in front of their house, Prudence was already jumping out. She ran towards the stairs on the front porch, kneeling down on the ground.

Zelda frowned, catching up with her daughter. “What are you doing?” she wanted to know. She softly ran a hand over Prudence’s head.

The little girl tilted her head a little. “This is where he stood. The man in my dream.”

Zelda felt a shiver run down her spine. Suddenly her throat was very dry. “What man?” she followed up. “Can you describe him?” Sometimes she wished the prophetic dreams were either more or less clear, because their current state was threatening to drive her insane.

Faustus passed them, throwing his wife a doubtful look.

But Prudence was still concentrating, trying to pierce together the details. “He had dark hair, and… red eyes.” She looked to Zelda as if making sure she had not said anything wrong. “His skin was burning.”   
  
_The Dark Lord._ The thought shot through Zelda like lightning, making her tremble. Quickly, she picked her daughter up into her arms. “Let’s go inside, okay?” she asked gently, not letting her down before she was safely inside.

When Prudence was out of reach, she slipped outside again. She walked across the porch, stopping near the fence. Lifting her arms, she spoke a protection spell. “Defendat nos in domum suam.” _Protect us in our home._

She took a deep breath, feeling the magic tear at her. Nevertheless, she spun the spell around the entire house. _Dark Lord, what are your plans for me?_ She stood in the yard, staring out into the woods. The sun was falling already, and shadows were creeping along below the trees. She felt like looking into a foreign dimension.

Suddenly, her husband appeared behind her. “What’s wrong?” he asked, frowning at her ever so slightly. “More protection spells?” he noticed.

Zelda nodded weakly, already feeling drained. But at least now she felt safe again. Her head was spinning, and she was reaching for Faustus’ arm to steady herself. “Prudence saw the Dark Lord in her dream”, she began, but didn’t get to finish, since her legs gave up underneath her.

“I _hate_ your stubbornness”, Faustus hissed, catching her and gently lowering her onto the ground. “I said no spell casting, and what are you doing?” He looked genuinely upset with her.

Zelda leaned against him, closing her eyes for a moment. She had a horrible headache. “Sorry”, she muttered. “But she saw the Dark Lord-” Again, she didn’t get to finish since her husband was interrupting.

“It doesn’t matter right now”, he said firmly, picking her up into his arms and carrying her towards the house. “No more spells.”

She shifted a little in his arms, still feeling like she might faint any second now. “You don’t understand”, she said weakly. “The dreams, they are…” her own voice betrayed her, and her lid fell shut. Then everything was dark.

 

Faustus said next to Zelda’s and his bed, watching the steady rhythm of her chest rising and falling. He was fearing if he looked away she might stop breathing. After her breakdown in the yard he had brought her upstairs so she could rest, put Prudence to bed and come right back here. Now he was sitting there, unmoved, not even bothering to turn on the light.

Suddenly, his wife stirred. Her eyes flickered open.

Quickly he sat down on the edge of the bed, running a hand along her cheek. Her skin was horribly cold.

“I should really start listening to you”, Zelda muttered, looking around herself. Then she made an attempt to sit up, only to sink back into the pillows. “I’m tired”, she noted.

Faustus sighed, rolling over to his side of the bed. He placed a quick kiss on her forehead. “I could have done the protection spells, you know.”   
  
She gave him her typical look, the one which very subtly said _but I do it better than you._ But then she nodded. “Being pregnant takes some getting used to.” Slowly, she rested her head on his chest. “I don’t know if I can do it for another nine months.” Her eyes found his.

He pulled her a little closer, wrapping the blanket around her body. “Of course you can”, he replied confidently. “You took down the minister, after all.”   
  
Zelda smiled, the smile he loved best on her. For a second, she fell silent. “Do you think it’s going to be a boy or a girl?”

Actually, a little girl with Zelda’s eyes and her golden curls would be quite something to look forward too. But all that mattered was that their child was well. “I don’t know”, he replied truthfully. “Has Hilda cast a spell?”

His wife shook her head. “Not yet. But I have my own little theories.” She bit her lip. “I think she’s a girl.”

Faustus kissed the top of her head.

Just in this moment, someone knocked on the door downstairs. Zelda gave a sigh, burying her head in his chest. “Just don’t open”, she whispered.

But for some reason, he felt a strange pull towards the door. Very gently she shoved his wife of his body, slipping out of the bed. He was not able to resist it, not even when he heard her getting up and following downstairs.

Outside, the night had turned pitch black. Another knock. It echoed though the entire house. Zelda had frozen on the stairs, clutching her nightgown to her body. She was wearing a worried expression.

When Faustus opened the door, he knew who would await him. He looked up, and met a pair of weakly glowing red eyes.

“Hello Blackwood’s”, Satan said. “May I come in?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was written very quickly and isn't proofread, but i wanted to post this quickly since i'll be busy until the weekend <3


	7. Bedroom Hymns

Faustus basically felt Zelda tense behind him, saw her fingers curl around the banisters and the colour draining from her face. Her eyes were trained on the Dark Lord, her face being perfectly empty. Like she had banned all emotions from herself.

Satan stepped into the house, not even casting Faustus a second glance anymore. He was glaring at Zelda now, like a bear at his prey.

“Dark Lord”, Zelda broke the silence now, smiling her most charming smile. She still appeared tense, but had done a good job shaking it off mostly. “What did we do to deserve the honour of your visit?” she added, giving Faustus the quickest of glances.

But he had no idea why Satan was here, either. _The bond?_ Perhaps. But they had not gone through with the summoning spell, only discussed it for the shortest while.

The Dark Lord was strolling across the hallway now, stopping a few paces away from Zelda. He was marvelling at her like he was planning to devour her with his eyes. Immediately, Faustus felt the urge to step in between the two, felt the anger rise within him. But there was no way he could raise his voice to Satan. _If he could, he would rip him apart here and there._  
  
If his wife noticed, she never showed. Her smile was still as dashing as before, although her eyes were cautious. She was totally unmoving, watching him move closer to her. “I hope we haven’t done anything to raise your dislike”, Zelda said politely, obviously having chosen the words very wisely.

The Dark Lord smiled, but it was lethal. Dangerous. “You have risen among my ranks very quickly”, he replied, without ever indicating he had even listened to her words. “Defeated my minister.”   
Zelda’s confidence never wavered. “I have been lucky in my gifts, Dark Lord”, she replied smoothly.

His eyes seemed to grow a little darker when he stepped closer, now almost having reached the stairs.

Faustus could see the shadow passing through his wife’s eyes, the curiosity in her eyes, and then exhaled sharply when she stepped down the last step. _She was enjoying this._ Again, he felt the urge to say something, interfere in some way. But he never moved. He was bound to watch in silence.

“That you have”, Satan replied eventually, very slowly reaching out and letting his finger tips brush over her cheek. “I made you the most powerful witch of this century.” His eyes were gleaming scarlet red.

Faustus felt himself almost overflowing with rage. He had grown used to the looks Zelda got where ever she went, and even to her toying with those to some extent. To her bright, charming smiles, the way she twisted her hair, the way she chose her dresses to be just a little too short whenever she wanted to drive him crazy.

But this was different. _This_ was the Dark Lord. And the king of lies never did anything without a reason.

Zelda’s eyes were pinned on him, and she tilted her head at the compliment. She also knew there was something to come. A reason he had come to Greendale tonight.

Satan leaned forward, lips seeming to brush her cheek when he whispered something into her ear only Zelda could hear. Her eyes widened a little, listening. Then she drew back, appearing slightly puzzled. She glanced at Faustus briefly, then training her eyes back onto the dark figure in front of her.

Very slowly, she nodded. “I can not refuse, can I?” she said quietly, but he understood anything. Faustus felt uneasiness rise within him, as he watched his wife’s face. He knew what Satan had asked. Something one could not refuse. He had asked her to do his bidding, in whatever way he fancied.

“Why would you want to refuse?” The Dark Lord replied calmly, still wearing the same smug grin. “ _I_ have made you powerful. _I_ made you who you are.” Again, his fingers touched her cheek. He was shifting even closer. “Don’t you want to repay me?”

Faustus was trying to read Zelda’s face, trying to think of something Satan might have asked her to do, but there was nothing he could see which gave any clue.

Her eyes were blank, looking right back into the Devil’s face. And she was smiling now. “Of course I do”, she replied, sounding convincing even to Faustus. Perhaps she truly believed what she was saying here. Perhaps her ambition had driven her this far.

Faustus had always been a strong believer as well, but this was too much even for him. He needed to restrain himself to keep calm, standing silently on the sideline while everything else was playing out.

The Dark Lord was still staring at Zelda, now looking a lot more pleased with himself than before. He had gotten what he wanted, clearly. “Very well”, he mused, lips curling into a smile. “I knew you would not disappoint me, Zelda.” And then, without further hesitation, he leaned forward and kissed her.

Faustus was frozen in his spot, not able to react. He was staring at the picture in front of him, wondering if he was likely to be hallucinating. For a second he wondered if this was some sort of infernal punishment for his affairs. Because if he had expected anything from his wife, it had not been this. _She was returning the kiss._

After something which felt like sheer hours Satan moved away, still smirking. _Now_ he looked truly satisfied.

Zelda on the other hand looked rather startled, very obviously avoiding Faustus’ eyes. She was looking through the room, like she was searching for some place to look but never succeeded.

“I want it done within two days”, the Dark Lord said at last, letting a fingers run over a curl of Zelda’s golden hair. “That should not be a problem, should it?”

Her gaze drifted back to Satan, and she tensed visibly. Then the smile was back. “Of course not”, she replied.

The Devil flashed another deadly grin, and then disappeared on the spot. Like he had never been there at all.

Zelda was staring into the empty air, then slowly glancing over to Faustus. Her face said it all. She opened her lips as if to say something, but no words came out. A heavy silence was lying in the air.

 

Zelda felt like cold out of a sudden, like Satan had taken all the warmth from the room with him. If she was honest with herself, she had no idea what just happened. She could still feel the Devil’s words in her head, the favour he had asked her to do. But even more so, she felt his lips on hers. Like a threat. A reminder what would happen if she failed to obey.

Worst of it, she had even enjoyed it. The danger, the thrill. It had been hypnotising almost, like she had forgotten herself entirely. But now as she looked at her husband, she remembered.

She remembered painfully well.

Actually she had meant to say something, _anything,_ but no words would come over her lips. What was there to say? Faustus’ eyes were dark and angry, like a storm was fighting inside of him. And she could hardly blame him. If she had watched him kiss any other witch, she would have torn her to pieces at the spot. Only that this was not an option concerning the Dark Lord.

Very suddenly, her husband approached her. She could feel his fury and hurt through the bond, feel it raging inside her. “Faustus”, she began, voice sounding hoarse. But she never got to finish, since his lips had already crashed down onto hers, taking her breath away.

He pushed her back against the stairs, hands buried in her air. It probably would have hurt if Zelda had not been so busy trying to find the strength to even breathe, with his lips and hands all over her. She had no idea how they had gotten here, with her half undressed and pressed against the banisters of the stairs in the middle of the night, but she was not bothered by the question enough to stop any of it.

Faustus lifted her up from her feet, pushing her closer against the wood of the banister. His hot breath was dancing over her skin when his teeth dug into the skin of her neck.

She was already panting, wrapping her legs around his body and burying her fingers in his shirt in an attempt to hold herself upright. Her nightgown was already on the floor, but she didn’t feel the cold one bit anymore.

He pushed inside her without further warning, making Zelda gasp with surprise, followed by a moan as he continued to trail kisses along her neckline, up to her earlobe. “You’re mine”, he breathed against her skin, voice sounding every bit as dark and enraged as all of this felt. He thrust into her almost violently, barely giving her time to catch her breath.

Zelda managed to nod in response, briefly thinking that if this was the response to jealousy she should be kissing other men all the time.

“Say it”, Faustus demanded, never slowing his pace. His lips were digging into her shoulder, probably leaving deep violet marks there.

She felt herself getting closer and closer, the pressure within her already building up. But there was no way he was going to make her come before she had not said the words, so she gave the best attempt at a response she could master in her current state. “Yours”, Zelda gasped, the words trailing of in a moan as she felt her whole body tense around him. Her nails dug into his shirt, tearing the fabric as she came and clutched onto him to avoid breaking down entirely.

Faustus let go off her as quickly as he had taken her, just suddenly withdrawing without any further notice. Zelda leaned back against the banister, not trusting her legs anymore and therefore sinking down on the stairs. She was panting, her heart racing and hair sticking to the back of her neck.

Her husband had his back turned towards her, but she could see how he was running his hands through his hair nervously. He was avoiding to look at her.

If she had not still been so shaken by her orgasm, she might have started to cry right about now. Instead, she cleared her throat in an attempt to somehow dissolve the situation. “Can you make me pancakes?”

Faustus turned around slowly, for a moment looking at her like he had understood wrongly. “You’re asking me for _pancakes?”_

Zelda shrugged, struggling to her feet. She felt like a wreck. “I’m hungry”, she replied, slipping back into her nightgown in the process. It was getting called all naked in the middle of the corridor.

Perhaps it was the pregnancy bonus that made him agree, but her husband nodded and walked into the kitchen without another word.

She followed, although a little more hesitantly, sitting down at the table. “I’m sorry”, she said eventually. “I shouldn’t have…” The sentence was never finished.

Faustus looked tense, turning on the stove. “Don’t mention it”, he muttered, still sounding rather angry with her. He was refusing to face her.

By now, Zelda was wondering if she had done it out of revenge. Had she only wanted to repay him for all of his affairs? She had not wanted to kiss the Dark Lord, not really. No, it had been something else. _Ambition?_ Knowing he had made her powerful?

“What did he ask of you?” Faustus interrupted her thoughts. The first pancake was in the pan, its smell filling the room. He finally turned around, his face a mixture of anger, disapproval and concern.

Zelda was playing with the fabric of her nightgown. “You know I’m not allowed to tell you”, she responded hesitantly. Those were the Satanic rules.

Faustus took a deep breath, in the meantime preparing the pancake on a plate and putting it in front of her. Then he sat down next to her. “Eat”, he said, almost softly.

She took the first bite, only now realizing how hungry she truly was. _When had been the last time she ate without getting sick afterwards?_ This pregnancy was truly cursed.

Her husband was still watching her every move. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to”, he began. “You know that, right?”

Zelda glanced up at him. That was not really true. “Yes I do”, she replied matter-of-factly. “What other choice do I have?” She was chewing her pancake firmly. “I signed my name away, like we all did.” The book of the beast left you no choice. There was no defying the Dark Lord. “Besides, I am not too keen on a Satanic punishment.”

Faustus put down a second pancake in front of her. “What he said wasn’t true”, he said wearily. “About him making you who you are.”

She sighed, taking another bite of pancake. Eating was making her tired. She felt as exhausted as after having pulled an all nighter. “Who am I without my powers?” she replied, shrugging slightly. “Just ordinary.”

Her husband’s eyes grew a little softer. “You could never be ordinary”, he replied. “With or without powers. Those are not what defines you.”

She didn’t believe him, but also didn’t care for arguing. Zelda finished her pancake in silence, eventually leaning back in her chair and facing Faustus again. “I really am sorry.” Somehow she felt the need to say it again.

A shadow passed over his face, but he only nodded. “I wish I could have choked him to death right there”, he muttered under his breath, reaching for her hands and pulling her to her feet. “You need sleep.”

Zelda huffed at the comment, being rather glad he had _not_ decided to take on the Dark Lord right in their house. Although she had no doubt he would do it for her, if it came right down to it. “Want to carry me?” she asked, already wrapping her arms around his neck suggestively.

Her husband gave her an odd look, picking her up around the waist and teleporting both of them upstairs. So much easier than taking the stairs. In their bedroom, he let her down carefully.

“Prudence knew he was coming”, Faustus noted, watching her as she slipped into bed already.

Zelda didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with _that_ problem right now anymore, so she only nodded weakly. She was already half asleep when her husband joined her under the sheets, subconsciously curling up against his warm body before she drifted off into sleep without another second thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay i was traveling, but here it is <3


	8. Ship to Wreck

Zelda awoke in the morning, for the first time since weeks feeling properly refreshed. She sat up slowly, waiting for the usual wave of nausea. It never came. Perhaps the more annoying part of the pregnancy was over now.

Her husband was stirring next to her, although she noticed he had taken his distance even in sleep. The sight of it stung a little. She meant to slip away, go check on Prudence, but suddenly he was holding her back.

“Are you going to do what he asked?” Faustus wanted to know, now looking wide awake. His eyes were resting on her.

Zelda sighed, loosening her wrist from his grip. “It wasn’t a choice”, she replied dimly. “The Dark Lord doesn’t _ask.”_ And with a child, infernal punishment was not something she would risk. There was no defying Satan here.

Her husband sat up as well, looking like he was still meaning to say something. Instead, he reached for her hand. This time she didn’t pull away. “If he asked something you can not do”, he began slowly. “It will be my personal pleasure to travel down to hell and kill him myself.” He kissed the tip of her nose.

Zelda couldn’t hide a little smile spreading on her lips. She had no doubt that he would do _exactly_ that in a heartbeat if she asked. But she knew better than that. “I’m fine”, she promised. “And there’s no need to be jealous”, she added, biting her lip in amusement as she saw his face darken a little at the memory. “I’m all yours.”   
  
“I should hope so”, Faustus muttered under his breath, letting go of her hand and leaning back against the pillows. He looked properly frustrated.

Zelda watched her husband for a moment, debating whether or not she could leave the conversation at this. Eventually she decided against it, leaning forward and climbing onto his lap. His arms wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her closer against himself. “I love you”, she said quietly, letting her fingers trace the lines of his jaw.

Faustus frowned lightly, worry clouding his features. “Why did he come now?” he asked quietly. “And why did Prudence know he was coming?”

Zelda felt herself growing cold. “He wants us to know he’s aware of her”, she said slowly. “That he knows there is always something he can hold against us.” She hesitated. “Or _me._ ” The relationship between Prudence and her father was still rather unclear.

Her husband rested his hands briefly on her stomach. “Soon he will have one more thing to threaten us with.”   
  
Zelda sighed, not wanting to think of that right now. She would have to obey, either way. This one thing needed to be done, and they would be free again.

Faustus kissed her cheek, holding onto the embrace for a moment. “We should wake Prudence”, he broke the silence eventually.

Zelda sighed, nodding and making her way to stand up. “I’ll go”, she replied, running a hand through her hair. No more dizziness when standing up. Those pancakes had really worked wonders apparently. With those thoughts she left the room.

Surprisingly her daughter was already up, sitting in her bed upright and facing the window. On the windowsill, a couple of stones from the front yard were lying. Or, _usually._ Zelda exhaled sharply when she noticed that today, they were indeed flying.

 _Oh Satan._ She stepped into the room, the sudden movement making Prudence’s concentration waver and the stones falling back down. “Since when are you able to do that?” Zelda asked, sitting down next to Prudence. In the corner of her eye, she noticed Faustus standing in the doorway. She wondered what he might be thinking.

Her daughter shrugged. “Since today”, she replied, looking up to Zelda. “Does that mean I get to be High Priestess?”   
  
Zelda smiled softly, glaring at her husband. She was really starting to show her parent’s ambition already. “Maybe”, she replied, striking her daughter’s hair. “We’ll see about that.” She hesitated briefly. “I have to go run some errands for a while, will you be fine?”   
  
Prudence nodded, already picking her pen back up to continue drawing.

Zelda felt her husband’s eyes on her as she kissed her daughter’s head goodbye and then made her way across the room to leave. “I’ll be back in no time”, she told him, not wanting to dive into what she was about to do too much. “I need to stop by at Hilda’s quickly too.”

The disapproval was all over his face, but his only response was a nod. He had nothing else to say apparently.

She slipped out of the house then, standing in the front yard for a while before eventually gathering the strength to teleport where she was needed.

When she opened her eyes again, she stood on a cemetery outside Greendale.

Zelda took a deep breath, already feeling herself trembling slightly. She forced herself to stand straight, making her way towards graves which were lined up. _It is only a grave._ Still, breathing became harder with every step she took.

It took her oddly long to find the grave, but when she finally sighted it she wished it had taken longer. The stone was pale white, the letters silver. It was beautiful indeed. There were no flowers. It was utterly empty.

She stood in front of it, for the first time seeing her father’s gravestone. Edward had come here a couple times after the burial, she knew that, even after she had returned from Europe. She had no idea if Hilda ever went. But now here she stood.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of eyes on her. Immediately, without turning, she knew who it was. She breathed in carefully, keeping her composure. “Dark Lord”, she said, without taking her gaze off the grave stone.

He slid closer, stopping behind her. Even like this she knew he was smiling. “You did as I asked”, he stated. “I expected no less.”

Zelda stayed unmoving. _Why had he wanted her to come here?_ To watch her being tormented by her father’s ghost? “How long do you want me to stay?” she asked, trying to keep her voice sounding respectful.

Satan smiled, and suddenly he was next to her. His eyes were gleaming a weak scarlet. “Don’t you want to stay?” he returned the question, looking around himself. “Such a beautiful place.”   
  
Zelda was sure he was mocking her, therefore choosing not to answer. She only smiled. The closeness was making her uncomfortable, but she knew better than to move away. At least her husband was not here to watch this time.

The Dark Lord shrugged, looking amused by her sudden silence. “If you wish to leave, feel free. My bidding is done.” He turned to leave, but not before letting his fingers brush over her cheek one last time. His skin was surprisingly cold. And then he just vanished like a phantom, never really having been there.

Zelda stared back at the grave, trying to hard to tear her eyes away. _It is only a grave._ But there had been a reason she had never come here before, a reason she had avoided the funeral. Her father had died, and her memories of him had died with him. Or so she had liked to pretend.

It took a lot of strength to turn around and leave, Zelda still feeling her hands tremble. She tried to shove the thoughts back down, not remember the things which had happened. _Only a grave._ She repeated it in her head like a mantra, like that was going to make it more true.

 

 

Hilda flinched when her sister just appeared next to her out of nowhere, almost bumming into the operating table to her right. “Satan, Zelda”, she exclaimed. “Can’t you use the door like a normal person?”

Zelda rolled her eyes, tucking a misplaced strand of her behind her ear. She was looking gorgeous as usual, but with a faint glow only a pregnant witch liked to have. Although, Hilda could still see her exhaustion. The tiredness on her face. The way she looked almost irritated.

“Is everything okay?” she asked gently, watching as Zelda laid down on the table. They were going to try and determine the baby’s sex today.

Her sister shrugged, picking up an invisible hair from her dress. She was avoided Hilda’s eyes. “Sure”, she replied. Usually she was a better liar.

Hilda decided to stop asking, simply preparing the stethoscope and listening out for the baby’s heartbeat. It was there, steady and loud. _Good._

Zelda looked only mildly interested, like her thoughts were really a mile away. Her eyes were pinned to a spot somewhere mid air.

“Do you want me to do the spell now?” Hilda asked, putting her tools down. “Are you ready to know?”   
  
Her sister looked confused for a moment. “What spell?”   
  
She sighed, starting to wonder whether the pregnancy had messed with Zelda’s braincells. They had spoken about this on more than one occasion, actually. “To see if it’s a boy or girl”, she replied calmly. Her sister’s anger was something she did _not_ want today.

Zelda seemed to remember, or at least she acted that way. “Go ahead”, she said, shrugging. “I think she’s a girl anyway.”

Hilda spread some incense through the room – said to enhance spells – and then began to recite the words of the incantation, lighting a candle in the meantime. Then she reached for a little paper, letting the flame get a hold of it. It lit up, the smoke turning scarlet instantly. She raised her brows. “You were right.”   
  
Zelda looked not surprised at all, watching the smoke with a strange expression. Almost sadness. “A girl then”, she said quietly, letting a hand pass over her stomach. She looked lost in her head already again. Suddenly, her gaze shot up again. “Have you ever been to father’s grave?”

She was properly surprised by the question, not quite knowing what that topic had to do with anything right now. “No”, she replied slowly. She had never known her father, only heard stories, and so she had never felt the need. Hilda watched Zelda attentively, the way she furrowed her brows, the anxiety on her face. This was very unlike her sister. But she had looked similar when Edward had mentioned their father. “Why?” she added.

Zelda shot her a quick glance, before sitting up again. “No reason”, she said, adding a smile at the obvious lie.

Hilda sighed. “Zelds, seriously.” She was starting to worry a little. “What’s wrong?”   
  
Her sister looked hesitant for a moment, like she was on the fence of telling the truth. But then the dashing smile was back, the one usually reserved for men she wanted to smile. “I just thought of it”, she shrugged, slipping from the table. “Thanks for the help.”

“Do I need to worry?” Hilda asked, biting her lip in thought. Her sister was truly behaving quite odd.

Zelda’s smile fell for a moment, and she indeed showed a real emotion. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “No”, she replied, although her voice was slightly trembling. “I’m handling it.”

That sounded quite vague, but Hilda was done pressing for answers. “Alright”, she only said. “Perhaps speak to your husband about it then.”   
  
Her sister gave a brief look of acknowledgement, before disappearing into thin air in front of her. Hilda sighed, still frowning slightly.

 

Zelda teleported right back into their house, just having wanted to fled the scene as fast as possible. She had worked hard to keep her emotions from Hilda, but she felt too all over the place to be a good actress today.

As she stood in the hallway, Faustus came downstairs. “You’re back”, he noticed, sounding hesitant.

Immediately, she felt annoyed. His moods were not something she could deal with right now. Besides, she already felt tears rising up in her eyes. _These damn hormones._ She tried to blink them away, with only mild success.

Her husband stopped in front of her, eyeing her for a moment. “What happened?” he wanted to know, obviously noticing her rather delicate state of mind.

She sniffed briefly, already feeling like the sobs would very soon follow. “Nothing”, she muttered, crossing her arms. “She’s a girl”, she added, wanting to get the words out as quick as possible.

Faustus looked confused for a moment, rightly so. After all, she was almost crying. “I, um”, he began, furrowing his brows. “Isn’t that good news?”   
  
Zelda nodded weakly, feeling like a literal train wreck. The tears were continuing to build up in her eyes. “Can we talk about this later?” she said quietly, trying not to sob. “I’ll have a shower and then go to bed.”

He probably thought her insane right now, but only nodded slowly. For a second he looked like he wanted to reach out for her, but then stopped himself. “Whatever you want”, he replied instead.

She wanted to tell him, really wanted to, but no words came out. So she turned away, hurrying upstairs already feeling the tears spill. Around Hilda she had kept her composure, but now it was all spilling over.

Once she was in the shower, she broke down to the ground trembling. _It was only a grave._ Only in her head, it wasn’t. It was so much more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what do you think is gonna happen next? <3


	9. Don't lie to Me

_She was back in the Spellman house, just having returned from the Academy. The house was big and empty, and it was raining outside. The drops landed on the roof above, the sound echoing through the silence._

_Then she was in her room, rattling at the door. It was locked. The power was off, and around her was only darkness. Candles were burning, the smoke heavy in the air. Zelda was screaming and yelling, but no one could hear. The house stayed utterly silent._

_Next thing she know, she was standing in the corridor. Her father was speaking, telling them their mother had passed. Edward was tearing up, clutching Hilda closer to himself. She had only been three years old. Zelda looked at her father, wondering why he didn’t look upset. Why he was so calm and collected._

_And then she thought to herself, and the tears which would not come no matter how much it hurt._ You are just like father. _Then he was yelling at her, calling her all those things he always said. Emotionless. Useless. Not worthy of this family. She barely heard him anymore. Edward was deliberately looking away._

_The night returned, and yet again she was in the house. There was no escaping its shadows. They longed for her, even now. She had been out partying, and returned long past the witching hour. The plan had been to sneak into the house silently, but when she slipped inside her father was waiting. He had used a tracking spell on her._

_Edward was asleep when he hit her, but she was always sure her brother must have seen the marks the next morning. If he did, he never showed. Only silence. Zelda always made sure to rid herself of all spells and curses afterwards._

_The day she was sent to Europe, she cried herself to sleep. Not that she didn’t want away from Greendale, but it felt wrong to just go. Being send away of all things._

_But she would not surrender, and no one ever saw her tears._

 

Zelda sat up straight in her bed, feeling the rushing of blood through her veins. Her heart was racing, and for a moment she felt like she was suffocating. Her cheeks were stained from tears. _It had felt so real._ It was all back, all the emotions she had been able to rid herself off for so long. She struggled to breath, feeling the panic spiralling through her body, fresh tears gleaming in her eyes.

Suddenly, someone touched her shoulder. A hand brushed her cheek. The movement snatched her out of the trance, new air filling her lungs. Breathing in, breathing out. She took a ragged breath.

A sob escaped her, and for a second she wondered if all the pain had ever been truly gone. Or if she had just gotten used to it. _Do the marks ever truly disappear?_  
  
Her husband was sitting next to her, watching her with an expression half concern, half outright worry. He must be thinking she was loosing her mind. Carefully, he ran his fingers through her hair. “What did you dream about?” he said quietly, never letting his eyes off her.

Zelda was not certain she was ready to explain. She was still crying, more and more tears running over her cheeks. _You are just like father._ She could almost see him, standing right in front of her. Suddenly struck by the image, she closed her eyes and opened them again. Whatever it had been, it was gone. Satan, she was going insane.

Faustus was waiting for an answer apparently. “Is something with the baby?” he asked, almost sounding scared himself. Like he would rather not know.

For a split second, she felt guilty. “No”, she managed to say. “She’s fine.”   
He breathed out. But the worry was still prominent. “Tell me what’s wrong”, he tried again. “Let me help you.” His fingers rested against her neck.

The touch was the only thing keeping her from going crazy right now, and she concentrated on taking steady breaths. It had not been real. Her father was dead, rightly so. Let him rot in hell where he belonged. The grave had not changed that. She took a deep breath. “The Dark Lord”, she began, her voice shaking with each words. “he wanted me to go visit my father’s grave.”   
  
Faustus tensed visibly, immediately looking like he was planning to commit murder. “Why?” he replied, and his voice was surprisingly calm.

That was quite the question. _Why?_ What did Satan gain if she lost her mind? Zelda took a shaky breath. “I saw him in my dream”, she whispered, more to herself than anyone else. “He did it all again.”   
Her husband slipped a little closer, lips brushing against her cheek briefly. “Did what?” he asked gently.

She wasn’t ready to say it out loud, like speaking the words would make them come true. Instead she attempted to wipe some of her tears away, only now realizing that she was trembling. Her entire body was shaking. She took another deep breath. “He used to lock me in my room for days”, she said, so quietly she was wondering whether her husband might even hear. “He put it under a silencing spell and turned the power off, so it would be pitch black.”

The memory made her shiver even now. He had done it because she had told her mother she was afraid of the dark when she had been six, and afterwards she had never dared to show her fear to anyone. It was safer to be fierce.

“When I didn’t do what he asked, he yelled at me for _hours._ ” The tears were back in her eyes. She was trying hard to keep herself from falling apart. Honestly, she didn’t want to list all the things he had said. It was no use, anyway. “He thought I was the family disappointment”, she added instead.

Her husband pulled her a little closer, wrapping his arms around her. He placed a comforting kiss on the curve of her neck. But she could feel his tension, how angry he was inside. It was rattling inside her through the bond. A silence followed, before he took the word. “Did he ever touch you?” he asked carefully. Like he was afraid she might get up and run.

Zelda bit her lip, trying to blink the tears away. _Just say no._ Lies were what she was good at, they went easy across her lips. But today, she felt too weak to even try. Slowly she nodded, not able to speak the answer.

“What about Edward? Didn’t he do anything?” Now Faustus sounded enraged.

She was too tired to be angry, only leaned a little closer against him. His strength was all she had, now that her walls had crumbled around her. “He didn’t know”, she said weakly, still sobbing lightly. All the memories were curling up in her head, all the things she had worked so hard to not ever remember.

Her husband sighed, obviously not wishing to pursue that discussing further. “Why haven’t you told me sooner?” he whispered, kissing her hair.

Zelda pressed her lips together, playing with the sheets between her finger tips. _Yes, why?_ Because she had not dared to remember. But there was a different reason entirely. “I didn’t want for you to see me weak”, she replied truthfully. “Now I can blame it on the pregnancy hormones”, she added, almost jokingly. Although she was still tear-stained.

He frowned deeply. “Crying doesn’t show weakness, Zelda”, he replied, so serious that for a second she was taken back why the tone of his voice. He cupped her cheek.

“You fell in love with me because I was strong, and fierce”, she answered, not meeting his eyes but staring down at her hands. And now she couldn’t be that anymore.

Her husband shook his head, lifting her chin a little. “You’re still fierce right now”, he said under his breath, kissing her temple. “And I would love you even if you were not.”

She smiled weakly, taking a deep breath. The sobs had ebbed away, and she felt a little better. Although not less broken than before. The memories were still lingering at the back of her head.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. Probably Prudence. Zelda felt a little guilty for not having paid her enough attention recently, but she could not find the strength to rise from the bed either.

“I’ll tuck her into bed”, Faustus said quietly, kissing the top of her head and then slipping away.

As soon as he had left, the emptiness returned. It felt like a deep dark well had opened up within her, tearing her closer and closer to the edge. Zelda felt like falling. Outside in the corridor, she could hear her husband’s and Prudence’s muffled voices.

When Faustus returned to the room, Zelda had not moved. She stared into the empty air, trying to keep her mind from wandering off. _Breathing in, breathing out._ It was all she felt able to do. The sun had already disappeared by now, and the room was only dimly lit.

Her husband sat down next to her, fingers running loosely through her hair. “You should get some more sleep”, he said softly.

She shook her head. “I’m afraid to close my eyes”, she whispered, her voice barely audible. Every time she shut her eyes, the images surfaced. Her father’s face, cruel and dark. She could almost hear him laughing.

Faustus was silent for a moment. “Prudence just called you _mom_ ”, he said eventually, out of a sudden.

Zelda turned towards him, not quite able to comprehend that new information just yet. “What?” she asked plainly.

Her husband smiled a little, shrugging. “She asked me ‘is mom okay?’ before she fell asleep.” Using the words as a distraction, he pulled her down with her onto the pillows, her head now resting against his chest.

Zelda gave her best attempt to relax in his arms, but the memories still kept haunting her. Although the thought of Prudence saying _mom_ in her soft little voice was making her heart warm a little.

“Just close your eyes”, Faustus whispered into her hair, fingers tracing the skin of her back. “I’ll stay awake.” He meant it, she knew that.

She felt herself trembling against when she buried her face against his chest, trying to concentrate on his heartbeat. It was oddly calming, and the tears didn’t come again. When she closed her eyes, there was only darkness.

 

Hilda hurried through the dark corridors of the Spellman house, taking the stairs downstairs and into her brother’s library. She knew Edward had a particular book down there, and she needed proper time to read it. Because maybe, she had found a cure for the bond having been laid onto her sister and Faustus.

The room was dark and she lit a few candles to have some light. Sometimes she wished she had some of Zelda’s gifts for pyrokinesis – or telekinesis, at least – but she was no High Priestess. Only an ordinary witch. And most days, she was absolutely fine with that fact.

She found the book she had been looking for, skimming through the contents briefly before skipping to the indicated pages. _Infernal punishments_ the page title said, and a shudder crept across her spine. It was a punishment, indeed.

Zelda had not asked her to look into it or any of the sorts, but Hilda had been interested herself and started digging some information up. That trail had led her to this book, eventually. Which promised to hold the answer.

Finally, she found the passage about the bond. It was described in detail at first, how the bond made one’s feeling intertwined, how it acted to tie two people together forever. But then, a little sentence stood out. _There is only one way to break an Infernal Bond truly._ Hilda exhaled sharply, reading on. _One of the couple must kill the other to be truly free._ She sank back in her chair, letting her fingers trace the page of the book.

But they had a Cain pit in their garden. _What if…_ They could simply resurrect the other afterwards, and pray to the Dark Lord it would work. Although the risk was still too great to bear perhaps. Hilda wondered if Zelda would do it, for Prudence and her baby. And her own freedom, too. Because if her sister hated anything, it was being dependant.

But could she do it? Zelda had her ruthless moments, yes, but could she drive a heart through the heart of her husband, the man who loved her above everything else? Hilda had no doubt Faustus would let her do it in a heartbeat and not even object.

She closed the book and blew out the candles, making her way back to her room. At some point she would show it to Zelda, let her make the decision.

Because that burden was something no one else could carry for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took me ages to write i'm so sorry for the delay but i'm crazy busy at the moment!


	10. No Choir

Zelda was sitting in her office, legs resting on her desk, and was going through a couple of new files. It was a couple of weeks later, and by now she had began to show. She had finished up her second trimester, which had proven to be a lot less stressful than the first. No more morning sickness – thanks Satan – and only the occasional emotional outbreak, which made handling work a lot easier.

She glanced over to the clock, stacking the files on her desk. It was almost seven in the evening already, and by now Prudence and her tutor had probably finished up lessons. Her daughter was being instructed in general teachings such as reading, writing, maths and arts as well as witchcraft, since Zelda was hoping it might give her more control over her gifts, which were already starting to develop.

Prudence was a gifted telepath, her ability to read thoughts and feelings getting stronger every day. Still, she claimed she was not able to hear a single one of Zelda’s. Usually she practised with Faustus, guessing what he might be thinking and usually succeeding.

Suddenly the air was vibrating, and a moment later Faustus was standing in the middle of the office. He sighed at the load of work in front of her. “One might think you would go a little easier on yourself”, he commented, walking around the desk.

Zelda rolled her eyes, standing up and reaching out to wrap her arms around his neck. “I didn’t even finish all those files today”, she replied, smiling slightly as he kissed her cheek. “How is Prudence?”

“ Great”, Faustus said, letting a hand run through her hair. “She picked out some baby clothes today. All pink.”

She huffed, looking up into her husband’s eyes. Then suddenly, she felt something. The slightest little flutter in her stomach area. She froze for a moment, wondering whether she was hallucinating or not.

Faustus frowned, feeling her tension. “What is it?” he wanted to know.

Zelda reached out for his hand, letting it rest on her stomach. A few seconds passed, and then the baby moved again. She watched Faustus’ face change to surprise.

“ Did she just move?” he asked, not moving his hand.

She had been wondering when it might happen, although Hilda had delivered a long speech about how it might take a while and how it was different with the first pregnancy and more medical stuff, but at that point Zelda had zoned off. Now the time could not have been better.

_ Don’t start crying now.  _ She could already feel the wave of emotions hitting her. “We should start to think about a name”, she said instead.

Faustus kissed the top of her head, nodding. “We still have another six months”, he remarked. “But if you want to make suggestions, why not.”

She gave him a challenging look. “ _ Suggestions?”  _ she repeated, raising a brow. “I’m the one having to carry the baby, I’m choosing the name.” Zelda added a sweet smile. “If you’re nice, I’ll let  _ you  _ make suggestions.”

He chuckled, drawing her closer at the waist. “I’ll keep that in mind.” He placed a light kiss on her lips, and suddenly they were standing in their house.

Prudence immediately came running from the kitchen, her hands raised, and an array of knifes and forks floating in the air in front of her. Her brown eyes were glowing. “I’m getting better!” she said, beaming with excitement.

Marie stepped into the doorway behind her, arms crossed. “Don’t loose concentration”, she remarked, face stern. She had taken on Prudence’s training for now, the side of it which related to witchcraft.

As expected, the cutlery fell to the floor. Prudence groaned, reaching out to pick them up. “Why does this always happen?”

Marie sighed, exchanging a look with Zelda. “Because you’re not concentrating”, she replied. “But we will try again tomorrow.” She smiled quickly at Zelda, ignoring Faustus as usual. “I will take my leave, your Highness.”

Zelda nodded, watching Prudence run back into the kitchen. Marie teleported away, and she turned around to Faustus. “I thought you got along with her finally”, she noted.

He rolled his eyes. “She hates me, what can I do?”

That was perhaps true, but it was not like he was entirely innocent of that fact. But Zelda didn’t object, simply followed her daughter into the kitchen. 

Prudence was busy sorting the forks back into the kitchen drawer‘s. “I had the same dream again”, she said, looking up at Zelda. “The one which keeps coming back.” 

_ Prophetic dreams do not come back.  _ Zelda frowned all the same, exchanging a brief look with her husband. “It’s a nightmare, Prudence”, she replied softly. 

Her daughter looked hardly convinced. “I don’t think so”, she argued, crossing her little arms before her chest. “I think our house is going to burn down!” 

The dream had been coming back for months now, and Zelda had no reason left to believe that it was indeed going to come true. 

The phone rang in the hallway, and Faustus went to pick it up. Zelda leaned down to Prudence, tucking a curl behind her ear. “You don’t have to be scared”, she said gently. 

Prudence tilted her head. “I’m not scared”, she replied, and it sounded genuine. 

“Hilda called”, Faustus remarked from the doorway. “She wants you to come over and look at something.” 

Zelda frowned, raising a brow. “Right now?” 

Her husband shrugged. “Apparently so.” 

She sighed, wondering what might be  _ so  _ important that it could not wait a few more hours. “I’ll be right back.” 

Faustus nodded, picking Prudence up. “We better get you to bed.” 

The little girl protested as usual, but Zelda smiled faintly. 

 

Zelda found Hilda in the library downstairs, lights dimmed and candles lit. She stopped in the doorway, eyeing her sister for a moment. “What was so urgent I needed to come right away?” she wanted to know, stepping into the dark room. 

Hilda looked up, closing the book in front of her. “I found something you should see”, she replied vaguely. 

“I see”, Zelda muttered, sitting down on the edge of the desk. “Go ahead, then.” 

Her sister but her lip, letting her finger tips brush over the old book in front of her. “I found a way to break your bond”, she said eventually. 

Now Zelda was listening. She slipped to the edge of the desk, leaning forward. “I didn’t think there was a way”, she noted. At this point, she had given up on wanting to break it. Although it was still giving her sleepless nights, even now. 

“There is”, Hilda confirmed. “But you won’t like it.” 

That she had expected. Zelda nodded. “What so I have to do?” 

Her sister gave her a troubled look. “One of the bound couple has to kill the other. Pierce his heart with a knife.” 

Zelda felt her heart clench, the bond inside her seeming to squirm at the prospect.  _ Pierce his knife with a heart.  _ She thought of Faustus, picking up Prudence. Faustus kissing her. Suddenly she felt sick. 

Hilda took the word again. “But it says nothing about the person being resurrected”, she noted. “We could use the Cain Pit.” 

“It might not work”, Zelda remarked. The Cain Pit was everything but trustworthy. 

Hilda frowned. “Could you do it?” she asked quietly. “Could you kill him?” 

_ Could she?  _ Zelda played with her hair, letting the words sink in. She had no idea. Without a doubt Faustus would let her do it, but would she have the strength to pick up the knife and finish the job?  _ What’s more important, the children or Faustus?  _ It was a choice she had hoped never having to make. “I don’t know”, she said truthfully. She liked to think of herself as ruthless, but this was something else entirely. “Maybe”, she added. 

It was the only choice they had. She knew Faustus would never do it, not in his worst moment would he ever raise a knife to her. But Zelda had always braced herself with the thought that she could survive without him, that although he claimed that he couldn’t live without her anymore that if it came right down to it, she could. 

“I just thought you should know”, Hilda interrupted her thoughts. “Think about it.” 

Zelda nodded numbly, not feeling like saying anything else.  _ Pierce his heart with a knife.  _ She had never felt the weight of a secret like today. 


	11. Cruel World

Zelda returned home like nothing was wrong, smiled when she tucked Prudence into bed, read her a bedtime story and left the night light on. 

Then she joined her husband downstairs, who was sitting in the living room reading. She sank down on the couch next to him, letting her head rest on her knees. For a moment she watched him in silence, looking for the right words to speak. “How far would you go for our children?” she asked eventually. 

Faustus gave her a surprised look, closing the book. “Where is this coming from?” He reaches out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. 

Zelda bit her lip, looking down. She didn’t want to meet his eyes. “Hilda found a way to break the bond”, she said quietly. 

His gaze on her intensified. Faustus seemed to sense her tension, the fact that this was not indeed good news. “So”, he replied slowly. “What do we have to do?” 

She looked up, studying his face for a moment. Could she ever do it? Could she  _ kill  _ the man she loved? Suddenly she was cold, shivering. She pulled her cardigan closer around her shoulders to stop herself from trembling. “Hilda said one of us has to kill the other.” Her voice was sounding surprisingly solid. “And then we can try the Cain Pit.” 

Faustus nodded slowly. “You will do it, then.” His tone was without a doubt. “In case the resurrection doesn’t work. The children need you more.” 

Zelda felt hollow, all emotion drained from her body. She did not even feel like crying. He had a point, of course. Prudence was much more attached to Zelda still, and she was not planning on leaving her alone again. They were only doing this for the children, after all. So in case something happened, they would not be losing both parents at a time. 

“You can do it, right?” Faustus interrupted her thoughts, reaching for her hand. He didn’t say what he meant, but it was clear anyway. 

Zelda shrugged. “I don’t have a choice, do I?” she replied dimly.  _ Pierce his heart with a knife.  _ She could already feel it weighing heavily on her soul. How could she ever look at herself in the mirror afterwards? 

Faustus sighed. “You’re the stronger one”, he said gently, letting his thumb circle over the skin of her wrist. “You’ve always been.” 

She was not one to doubt herself a lot, but in this moment she did not feel strong at all. More close to falling apart. “I guess so”, she replied vaguely, not wanting her husband to see her indecisiveness. She raised her chin, forcing herself to meet his eyes. There were no tears to be shed over this. “I never thought you’d ask me to kill you one day”, she added, trying to sound lighthearted. 

Faustus huffed, shrugging. “If anyone does it, it should be you.” He leaned forward to kiss her forehead. “Very poetic.” 

_ The Dark Lord loves his irony.  _ Zelda smiled, letting her fingers run through his hair for a moment. “But we have to wait”, she returned to the topic. “Until she is born.” They had no idea what might happen when the bond broke, and it might upset the pregnancy in the meantime. 

Faustus nodded. “Probably for the best.” 

Zelda felt the connection inside her, the way it was tearing at her heart, like a creature refusing to be slaughtered.  _ What would it feel like, to be truly alone again?  _

She wondered if she would still feel the same way, connect with Faustus like she did now. Or if it would change everything. The bond made their feelings all the more intense, made the other’s absence feel like a piece of themselves missing. 

Even now, she was craving more touch. Zelda slipped closer to her husband, wrapping her arms around his neck. She was feeling exhausted, the pregnancy still being harder on her than she had expected. “We’ll make it work, right?” she asked quietly, leaning against Faustus’ shoulder. 

He nodded, letting a hand rest on her stomach. “Of course we will”, he replied. “We always do.” 

 

Edward was just finishing up his morning coffee when Zelda came in, as usually not knocking or doing anything else to introduce her presence. 

His sister was looking glowing as usual, the pregnancy suiting her a lot more than he would have thought initially. But he didn’t fail to notice the dark circles under her eyes, the way her shoulders were tended, her expression stern. “Good morning”, she greeted, smiling and reaching for a cup of coffee herself. “I dropped Prudence off.” She sat down at the table across Edward. 

He nodded, studying Zelda’s face. There was something weighing on her, like a dark cloud she carried around. “How are you?” he wanted to know, sipping the last bit of his coffee. 

She shrugged. “Tired”, she replied briefly. 

Sometimes when he looked at her, Edward felt the same pain Diana had felt when she had first heard of the pregnancy. It was jealousy even, that Zelda could have what he couldn’t. He loved Sabrina more than life itself, but another child, watching it grow within Diana… it was something he could never experience.  _ Witches do not mingle with mortals.  _ He had already done more to defy Satan than most men. 

His sister was staring into her cup, mindlessly stirring the liquid. 

Edward frowned. “Are you alright?” he asked, watching the thoughts pass over her face. He never knew what she might be thinking. 

“We know how to break the bond”, Zelda replies hesitantly. “But sadly it involves me driving a knife into my husband’s heart.” Her tone was sarcastic, but Edward could see that she was frightened. Perhaps more frightened than he had ever seen her. 

He tilted his head. “Then don’t do it. Stay tied together.”

Zelda snorted, taking a sip of coffee. “I’m not doing that to my children.” She fluffed her hair over her shoulder. “We both know how I love to get into trouble.” 

Edward huffed, the slightest of smiles around his lips. Very true indeed. And they also both knew how Faustus Blackwood would gladly give his own life to save Zelda. “The Cain Pit-“, Edward began, but was interrupted. 

“I know”, his sister replied impatiently. “But it might not work.” She straightened her back, the look of defiance back in her teen eyes. They were almost glowing. “Better be braced for the worst.” She sounded like a true warrior. 

Edward sometimes wondered where she had gotten this fierce spirit from, the unbreakable strength of will which carried her forward. Perhaps the time in Europe had hardened her. “So you will do it?” he asked. “Kill Faustus.” 

A shadow passed over Zelda’s face, but she never faltered. “It appears that I have to”, she answered firmly. 

Edward had no doubt that she would, ruthlessness always having looked best on her. “What if the Cain Pit doesn’t work?” It was a cruel question to ask, but he wanted to see the look on her face. 

But Zelda simply smiled, setting the cup down on the table. “Then I’ll go to hell and drag him back here myself.” 


End file.
